Brandon Aiyuk recently requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers after failing to sign a contract extension with the team during the offseason. He is set to play this season on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal. However, despite his request for a trade, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network is reporting that Aiyuk will report to training camp.
It’s no secret that Aiyuk hasn’t been happy about his contract status with the 49ers for some time. There were rumblings around the draft that he could be on the move. While he might like to play for another team, the 49ers want to win a Super Bowl and their chances of doing so are better with Aiyuk in the fold. On the DraftKings Sportbook, the 49ers have odds of +600 to win the Super Bowl, which trails only the Kansas City Chiefs (+500).
Aiyuk is coming off the best season of his young career, finishing 2023 with 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. He averaged 12.8 yards per target, which was by far the highest mark of his career. He has posted back-to-back campaigns with at least 1,000 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
While some teams are likely champing at the bit to trade for Aiyuk and sign him to a lucrative contract extension, the 49ers have yet to meet his demands. However, GM John Lynch said Tuesday that the team “fully intend on Brandon being a Niner.” Brock Purdy is still playing under a cheap contract, but San Francisco has significant money tied up in Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel. McCaffrey just signed a two-year, $38 million contract extension this summer. That keeps him as the highest paid running back in the league.
Also looming on the horizon is a contract extension for Samuel. He will be a free agent after the 2025 season, so he could ask for an extension for himself next summer. Samuel has become one of the more versatile weapons in the league, finishing last season with 1,117 total yards and 12 total touchdowns.
The downside with Samuel is that he has been injury prone. He missed two games last year and played in just 13 games the season prior. In contrast, Aiyuk has missed just one game over the last three seasons. His durability is yet another reason why the 49ers would love to keep him on the team, at least for one more season. For now, the report that Aiyuk will report to training at least keeps that hope alive.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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