Former GM predicts outcome of 49ers, Brandon Aiyuk contract standoff

Former NFL general manager and current analyst Randy Mueller of The Athletic believes the San Francisco 49ers will work things out with unsettled wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk this summer.

“I think a deal will get done before camp starts (in July), when time is of the essence,” Mueller wrote in a piece published Thursday.

NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated has repeatedly predicted that the 49ers will find a way to keep Aiyuk happy through at least the upcoming season. As recently as Wednesday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (h/t Grant Gordon) reported that Aiyuk’s camp and the 49ers will “take some time to enjoy the Fourth of July holiday before resuming their work at hammering out a long-term pact” after the two sides had a “good” meeting earlier this week.

Breer and others have noted that negotiations between the 49ers and Aiyuk seemingly stalled after receivers such as Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions inked deals this offseason. Mueller mentioned on Thursday that “the fly in the ointment for the 49ers is St. Brown’s contract,” in part because “most in the NFL would consider Aiyuk a better all-around player than St. Brown.”

St. Brown signed a four-year extension that included $77M in guaranteed money and could be worth up to $120M. Mueller pointed out that $34.7M of St. Brown’s deal is fully guaranteed.

“I don’t think Aiyuk’s camp is looking to reset the market,” Mueller explained. “Ultimately, I expect Aiyuk would sign for around $30M to $32M annually with about $50M fully guaranteed. That would give him something to hang his hat on. The question then becomes: Do the 49ers value him that much more than their other options, even if that cost is a bit more than what they had budgeted?”

DraftKings Sportsbook and other outlets continue to list the 49ers as the betting favorites to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LIX. Such forecasts serve as a reminder of why San Francisco general manager John Lynch doesn’t want to trade Aiyuk for an asset that can’t help the team win in 2024.

Assuming Pelissero is correct, fans shouldn’t expect a meaningful update on contract talks between the 49ers and Aiyuk before July 8 at the earliest. Then again, Aiyuk theoretically could take to social media at any time to reveal his feelings on the subject.