After all the bro-hugs, TikTok posts, trade requests, trade threats, social-media red alerts, hoaxes, deceits, and passive-aggressive hold-in pricks, San Francisco 49ers And Brandon Aiyuk Ultimately a consensus was reached on a very logical and very necessary matter Four-year, $120 million deal On Thursday.
Yes, the strangest negotiation of all time has led to perhaps the most sensible big deal of the 49ers era, just in time for Aiyuk to be ready for his Sept. 9 game opener. New York Jets. Cause and effect? Did it have to be so bizarre, making it even more complicated Wednesday’s practice-or-else match And then Thursday’s success, for this smart deal to finally come through? Maybe.
Sometimes, these deals are relatively simple. Nick BosaNegotiations went on for a long time last year, but both sides knew he wouldn’t sign until the 49ers offered him what they thought he was worth, and when that number was met, he signed. Let’s just assume these are the same circumstances facing the 49ers and the NFL. trent williams He’s in his holdout right now. And sometimes, these situations are decided quickly. The 49ers took a look at DeForest Buckner’s contract requests in 2020 and quickly traded him to the Indianapolis Colts.
But Aiyuk’s negotiations weren’t straightforward. They certainly weren’t quick. They were confusing to watch and, from what’s been reported and what I’ve heard, confusing to be a part of. The 49ers’ negotiators didn’t really understand what Aiyuk was doing and weren’t too thrilled by his social-media exploits. Meanwhile, Aiyuk’s camp was extremely frustrated with the 49ers’ tough negotiating style. And maybe both sides needed some jostling to figure out if the other side was actually paying attention.
The end result is all that matters, of course. All parties knew Aiyuk’s best fit was with the 49ers and that if he left, the 49ers would almost certainly replace him with a much less talented receiver. I don’t think Aiyuk ever really wanted that. Pittsburgh Steelers to be soldThat’s what he wanted people to believe though. I don’t think the 49ers ever wanted to trade him anywhere, although they did tell Aiyuk’s camp they were open to negotiating with multiple teams.
As reported, the deal is roughly similar to a four-year, $120 million deal. Detroit Amon-Ra St. Brown was given that deal in April. That deal had $77 million guaranteed. Aiyuk reportedly has $76 million. Both have annual average salaries of $30 million, which ranks in the top five among WR deals, slightly ahead of WR deals. Tyreek Hill and below Justin Jefferson, CD Lamb And AJ Brown,
Who “won” this deal? It’s hard to tell. For now, let’s call it a tie deal, because it all makes sense. It’s the deal that has made sense for Aiyuk and the 49ers since the St. Brown signing. It’s the same deal that’s been on the table from the 49ers since Aug. 13, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Jed York and Paraag Marathe offered enough money. Aiyuk signed on his own merits.
So why did it take so long? Why did it have to get a little bit brutal and a little bit out of control? Why did it come so close to divorce, possibly until Thursday morning, when Aiyuk skipped practice for the second time in a row after the 49ers believed he was healthy enough to participate?
My guess is that it was just an unfortunate clash of styles and personalities, which is odd, since Aiyuk’s agent, Ryan Williams, is a friend and business associate of John Lynch. But remember when Aiyuk was in Kyle Shanahan’s doghouse in 2021 And for weeks, no one could understand why. Aiyuk is a respected member of the 49ers locker room, but he can also be quite mysterious. Unlike his good friend Deebo Samuel, whose emotions are never hidden, Aiyuk can be hard to understand. Even for coaches.
But Aiyuk bounced back from that period and started playing his best football for Shanahan and the 49ers. I suspect the same outcome will follow these months of tension. I can also predict there will be another episode like this somewhere in the future. This just seems to be part of the Aiyuk-49ers story.
In this case, Marathe is not known as an empathetic negotiator. He’s great at his job and has “won” more than his share of big-time negotiations for the 49ers. But in this negotiation, with a stubborn wide receiver whom the 49ers simply could not afford to lose, things went offline quickly and never got back on-line by the end of this negotiation. And the logical offer they could have made in April was not given until August 13th, let’s face it.
go deeper
49ers, Brandon Aiyuk agree on 4-year extension
It took a lot of 11th-hour tough talk from the 49ers to get this deal done. They had to get it done now. They couldn’t keep Aiyuk, who is healthy but refusing to practice, in the building until next week, when preparations for the Jets game begin in full swing. They couldn’t make room for him on the roster if he wasn’t ready to play. They needed answers. Things got straightened out. And they finally got their answer on Thursday.
I give York, Marathe and Lynch credit for that – they could have withdrawn the $120 million offer earlier this week, and they didn’t, but they were threatening unknown dire consequences in the future. Of course, if the challenge to Aiyuk had come their way this week, I would have come to a very different conclusion. But they got the deal done and they ended their most awkward negotiations with a very fair agreement.
I also don’t believe this deal, no matter how expensive, will seriously hurt the 49ers’ future salary-cap situation. They always would have had to pay near the top of the market to keep Aiyuk through his best years, as they have done with Bosa, Fred Warner, George Kittle And Christian McCaffreythey’d have to do it all over again, probably with about twice the number, Brock Purdy when he’ll be eligible for an extension next offseason. That could lead to Deebo being forced out next offseason, which was actually calculated years ago when they signed Deebo to his easily expiring deal.
But at the same time, big guarantees can reduce the initial cap cost. For example, St. Brown’s cap hit for this season is just $4.9 million. The cap risk comes when a player with a big guarantee doesn’t retain his value in the third or fourth season of a deal, when the hits rise steeply and the exit costs are even higher. Aiyuk, 26, seems ideally suited to be as or more valuable in 2027 — when the 49ers will surely want as many quality receivers available to catch Purdy’s passes — as he is now.
So this is a good deal for both sides that could have easily happened months ago, but circumstances and personalities prevented it. Presumably, Shanahan, Lynch, Marathe, York and Aiyuk will get some celebratory hugs and cheers in the next few days, and they deserve the moment, if they’re all in the mood for it. But hopefully they’ll stay off the cameras and go nowhere near social media, for the sake of all of us.
(Photo of Brandon Aiyuk: Michael Owens/Getty Images)