Perhaps the biggest story line following the San Francisco 49ers during the 2024 NFL off-season is the contract situation for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The now-fifth year wide receiver is eligible for a big contract extension that has yet to come to fruition, and there have been rumors about his displeasure with his current situation.
49ers Actually Save Money, Could Use It For Aiyuk Extension
This is incredible… Christian McCaffrey’s extension creates 8.5M in cap space for the 49ers in each of the next four years 🔥
via: Over The Cap pic.twitter.com/4uH1PLxthd
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) June 4, 2024
Instead, the 49ers took care of one of their other offensive weapons on Tuesday. The team inked running back Christian McCaffrey to a two-year extension that keeps him in San Francisco for another four seasons, once again setting the market for high contracts for running backs.
The deal for McCaffrey is back loaded, and through certain financial language, gets rid of the void years that he had attached to his previous contract. This actually saves the 49ers over $8 million in each of the next four off-seasons (starting with the current one), which could have a positive impact on contract talks when it comes to Aiyuk. With the money saved, the team could potentially allocate it to an extension for the wide receiver in the coming days or weeks.
Two 49ers WRs Could Be On The Trade Block
The #Steelers thought they had a deal in place with the #49ers for WR Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel before it fell apart at the last minute, per @mlombardiNFL.
The #Niners reportedly pulled out of the deal, after feeling they should get more in return. #FTTB pic.twitter.com/UMkSpEWpXz
— 49ers & NFL News 24/7 (@49ersSportsTalk) June 3, 2024
Speculation has run rampant when it comes to the 49ers wide receivers, not just Aiyuk. There have been reports that the team is open to shopping both he and Deebo Samuel as San Francisco’s roster price tag grows, and NFL insider Michael Lombardi said that the team nearly shipped one of them off to Pittsburgh in recent weeks.
The 49ers will enter the season as one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl, and are listed as such at many sportsbooks across the nation. Some have the Kansas City Chiefs getting the shortest odds, though, as both teams from last year’s championship game are predicted to make it back. According to DraftKings, the Chiefs come in with a +550 designation, while the San Francisco sits at +600. On FanDuel, the 49ers are the favorites, and the numbers are flip-flopped.
