Why does Brandon Aiyuk believe the San Francisco 49ers don’t want him?

There’s something odd happening in the Bay Area. The franchise is apparently standing firm on the idea that it wants to get a deal done, while the player insists that’s not the case. So, the question is who should we take at face value and what comes next?

Is Brandon Aiyuk on his way out?

As is often the case these days, players hold out when it comes to attending minicamps as they attempt to force franchises into negotiations over a new contract. What’s not common is when a player does so on the grounds that the team doesn’t want to retain them. Yet, that’s exactly what San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk said. In a video posted to TikTok, Aiyuk lamented to his former teammate at Arizona State and current Washington Commanders quarterback, Jayden Daniels, saying “They said they don’t want me back...I swear.” The statement comes amid reports that Aiyuk was not present for the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp as he apparently seeks a new contract.

Where context is concerned, it should be noted that the 49ers selected wide receiver Ricky Pearsall at No. 31 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, however, general manager John Lynch has continued to insist that the team is would like to keep Aiyuk. “I know that we’re continuing to have positive talks with B.A. and we are really efforting to get something done with him,” Lynch said back in April. “And we’re excited about continuing down that path.” Where Aiyuk himself is concerned, this most recent campaign was a big one as he finished with career highs, notching 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games, on an average of 17.2 yards per catch. To that end, the second-team All-Pro is the first player in franchise history to register more than 55 catches, 740-plus yards, and five-plus touchdowns in each of his first four seasons.

This brings us to the details i.e., Aiyuk is in the final year of his rookie contract, playing under the fifth-year rookie option at $14.1 million (which is fully guaranteed). As you already know, several wide receivers in the league including Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jaylen Waddle have been rewarded with massive extensions this offseason. To that end, it’s no surprise that Aiyuk is looking to get his own. On the other hand, that we’ve seen no concrete move on the 49ers’ part would suggest that the organization isn’t clear on what Aiyuk is worth. When it comes to the facts, Aiyuk ranks 11th in the league in receiving yards (2,357), 16th in yards per catch (15.4), and is tied for 11th in receiving touchdowns (15) over the last two seasons. As the No. 2 wide receiver on the team, that’s not bad. Yet, whether it’s worth the kind of figures we’ve seen wideouts receiving of late is debatable. Either way, there is almost certainly more to come in this story so keep an eye on it.