The last, non-guaranteed year of the possible deal seems to be Brandon Aiyuk’s and the 49ers’ last obstacle in agreeing to a rich contract extension.
While Aiyuk and the 49ers agree on the first three years of the proposed contract, NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo said Friday that the star wide receiver wants an adjustment to a non-guaranteed fourth year.
Garafolo told Puck Sports host “Jason “Puck” Puckett on Friday (h/t Steelers Depot), “The 49ers feel like they have already caved enough and caved more than they wanted.” “From their spring offer, they have come down greatly. Usually the difficult aspect is that my reporting indicates they are rather agreed upon over the first three years of the arrangement. That’s the promise, the cash flow, the APY throughout the first couple of years, average each year and that Aiyuk merely wants an adjustment in the last year of the transaction, which is not guaranteed.
“That year is never guaranteed; we have seen a lot of wide receivers and agents enter large numbers in that last year to inflate the average per year.” Though still not sure and something the 49ers may walk away from, it doesn’t sound like that exactly what want there more of a significant change to that year. Right now, the standoff falls in that area. At times I have labeled it awkward and divisive. Though it’s still that, I believe it’s really near to done. The 49ers have so declared, “We’re not going to make a move and trade him away because we feel like we could still get this deal done.'”
Garafolo said Tuesday that the 26-year-old wideout was waiting for San Francisco to decide on one last issue and that Aiyuk and the 49ers had traded contract offers within range of one other.
Garafolo’s most recent story Friday indicates that last year is the reason the 49ers and Aiyuk are finding difficulty reaching a deal.
John Lynch, general manager, showed up on KNBR 680 on Friday morning and was questioned why contract negotiations with Aiyuk had gone for so long.
Lynch commented on KNBR’s “Murph & Markus” broadcast, “I wish I knew.” “I wish I known.”
Lynch also made it abundantly evident that both parties are seeking a way out of this.
“It’s been a long, difficult, hard process, hard journey,” Lynch told Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher. “We started early and for whatever reason haven’t been able to cross the finish line. That has been annoying. Still, the correspondence with Brandon and his agent has been rather excellent, and we are working on a fix.
“I’m always hoping. Being an optimistic person by nature, I constantly hope that we will get there and quickly. We are rather eager to have him, as told. The season is almost here.
Although the 49ers apparently have trade arrangement with the Pittsburgh Steelers to send Aiyuk to Steel City, it is evident their intention is to arrange something with the former first-round draft pick to retain him in San Francisco.
The matter could be settled at last if the 49ers and Aiyuk can agree on the back-end of a suggested contract.
