49ers' Brandon Aiyuk Absent from Training as Contract Talks Continue

Wed, Apr 24, 2024
by CapperTek

San Francisco 49ers' wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is not at offseason training. The 26-year-old 49ers star is reportedly playing hardball with his employers as he awaits a profitable new contract offer, which would see him remain with the Santa Clara-based franchise for several more years.

As a player of his caliber would be, Aiyuk is pivotal to the 49ers' plans for the new NFL season, with bookmakers again expecting the Super Bowl LVIII runner-up to be in the mix come playoff time in the coming campaign.

As things stand in the early NFL futures betting at Instant Casino, which offers great options for online sports betting and online casino games, San Francisco is the favorite to win Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans next year.

The San Francisco 49ers top the Instant Casino betting boards with odds of +545, ahead of the current title holders, the Kansas City Chiefs (+590). The other NFL franchises occupying high positions in the odds are the Baltimore Ravens (+910), the Buffalo Bills (+1230), the Detroit Lions (+1230), and the Cincinnati Bengals (+1300).

Of course, whether the 49ers retain their bookmakers' favorite status going forward depends on several factors, including roster acquisitions, player injuries, draft and trade activity, and retention of their best players, of which Brandon Aiyuk is certainly one.

 San Francisco general manager John Lynch remains confident of reaching an agreement with Aiyuk on a new deal:

“I’ve communicated on many occasions our wish and our wish is that he’s here and a part of the Niners for the rest of his career. We’re working through that.”

When asked whether he expected to reach a new contract agreement with the player sooner than later, Lynch responded:

“I think that’s important. Human nature is that deadlines force these things. But I think you can always learn from situations, and you’d be a fool not to. I’d like to have our business tidied up. Those things, they ran the course they needed to. I’m proud of our record of getting the guys we want to get done, done. But I’m right there with everyone else. I’d sure like it to happen sooner.”

Lynch and the 49ers are renowned for doing good business in maintaining the status of their roster in the past. Over the past four offseasons, Fred Warner, George Kittle, Nick Bosa, and Deebo Samuel all signed deals that increased their worth to the franchise. Of those, Samuel missed a few opening practices before signing, while negotiations with Bosa almost stretched to the start of the regular season.

The bottom line is that all four players signed new contracts, and the GM expects the same to happen in Brandon Aiyuk's case. The wide receiver formed an excellent on-field relationship with breakthrough Niners' quarterback Brock Purdey last season, resulting in Aiyuk's career-best 1,342 yards, 75 catches, and seven touchdowns. The Purdey-Aiyuk combination was crucial to San Francisco's successful campaign.

With Brandon Aiyuk set to have exercised his fifth-year option valued at around the $14 million mark, he's reportedly looking for a substantial increase with a long-term deal that will bring his contract in line with the NFL's top receivers, earning him close to $25 million annually. Hopefully, for The 49ers' sake, their record of getting deals done continues.