The contract saga that has dominated the San Francisco 49ers’ offseason is finally over.
Per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo the 49ers agreed to terms on an extension for All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
San Francisco and Aiyuk have agreed on a four-year extension worth $120 million with $76 million in guarantees, with the deal worth an average of $30 million a year.
𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: #49ers and WR Brandon Aiyuk have agreed on a four-year, $120M contract extension with $76M in guarantees. Per @MikeGarafolo pic.twitter.com/ooroZHS017
— A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) August 29, 2024
It means Aiyuk has at long last got his wish in being paid as one of the top wide receivers in the NFL after two successive 1,000-yard seasons with the 49ers.
Aiyuk ascended to new heights during the 2023 campaign, being named a second-team All-Pro after racking up 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
But at many junctures during a stand-off that stretched back to the days after the 49ers’ agonizing overtime defeat in Super Bowl 58, it appeared as if San Francisco would not reward Aiyuk for his outstanding campaign.
Indeed, the lack of progress in negotiations led Aiyuk to request a trade, and San Francisco did at one point have trade frameworks in place with the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers.
But the 49ers then re-engaged in negotiations with Aiyuk and reportedly agreed to the major components of a deal, yet an apparent inability to get some usually minor details about the final year of the contract ironed out led to the situation appearing to turn ugly this week. Aiyuk did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday despite head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch each indicating they expected him to do so.
Aiyuk, though, will be back on the practice field next week as the 49ers prepare for their season opener with the New York Jets, having secured the payday for which he has waited so long.