Report: 49ers cost themselves millions by mishandling Brandon Aiyuk contract

Sep 26, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) walks on the field before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on Thursday finally resolved their contract situation. But the way the Niners handled things reportedly cost them millions of dollars.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports that prior to Amon-Ra St. Brown signing his 4-year, $120 million extension with the Lions in April, Aiyuk would have signed for $27 million per season.

Then by July, Aiyuk had requested a trade, and PFT reports that five teams were prepared to sign Aiyuk for $28 million per season. The price only went up from there, especially after more and more receivers signed new deals.

By the time the 49ers were ready to come up in price and lock in Aiyuk ahead of the 2024 season, the cost had become $30 million per season.

Had the Niners signed Aiyuk earlier this offseason, they would have saved themselves $12 million ($108 million vs. $120 million).

Interestingly though, the same deal that Aiyuk signed now he reportedly had available from the team on Aug. 10.

Now Aiyuk has a little over a week to get ready for the Niners’ season opener, which will be at home against the New York Jets on Monday, Sept. 9.