Brandon Aiyuk said he made contract negotiations with 49ers 'a little more difficult than it needed to'
It all worked out for him, but even Brandon Aiyuk admitted his contract hold-out and trade request with the San Francisco 49ers went on a little too long.
“I’m not gonna lie,” he said on Tuesday, NBC Sports. “I made it a little bit more difficult than it needed to [be] at the end. … For about the past month, I think we were pretty good.”
"I'm not going to lie, I made it a little bit more difficult than it needed to [be] at the end." 😂
Aiyuk on how the twists and turns of his negotiations might have frustrated John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan pic.twitter.com/6MSmG6fMdC— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) September 3, 2024
Aiyuk and the 49ers agreed to a four-year, $120 million extension last week after months of angling for a new long-term deal. Aiyuk first requested a trade from the 49ers in July, which led to weeks of speculation about where he would land, if anywhere. Several teams reportedly were negotiating with the 49ers on a potential trade for him — it was the Pittsburgh Steelers who got the closest — but Aiyuk eventually agreed to remain in San Francisco.
His new deal, which includes $76 million in guarantees, made him the sixth-highest paid receiver in the league and will keep him in San Francisco for the next five seasons.
"I think I just had a feel for what I wanted," Aiyuk said, via ESPN. "Not just in terms of money but in all those things [such as long-term team success and quarterback play] and ultimately, I wanted to be here. I ended up being here, so I'm happy. I'm good, I'm ready to go."
Aiyuk had a breakout season in 2023 with the 49ers. He racked up a career-high 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 75 catches while helping the team reach the Super Bowl, which they eventually lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Aiyuk missed the start of training camp with back and neck issues, but he still didn’t return after he was cleared. He officially practiced with the team for the first time on Tuesday. The length of his holdout and lack of progress on a deal seemed to bug the 49ers as late as last week, too.
“At some point, you got to play,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said.
Though he wasn't practicing, Aiyuk remained around the team and attended meetings and other activities amid his contract negotiations. It was more of a "hold-in," which he said made things incredibly difficult for him.
"That was probably the hardest part about the whole thing just because at that point you got the rest of the team involved," Aiyuk said, via ESPN. "I'm here every single day, they're suiting up, getting ready to go out to practice and I'm not ... It was a little awkward, but I think it worked out how it needed to."
Now, with his new deal in place, Aiyuk can do just that. He and the 49ers will open their season officially on Monday night against the New York Jets with his contract dispute behind him.
"I feel light, I feel more ready than if it didn't go out this way," Aiyuk said, via 95.7 The Game. "I'm super excited. I'm feeling fresh, feeling renewed. [I'm] coming in with new energy, so just excited to play football again."
