San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk discussed his recent contract negotiation difficulties on Deebo Samuel’s latest podcast episode.
49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk Reflects on Emotional Factors in Decision to Stay
The 49ers wideout admitted that his decision was influenced by emotional factors during the premiere of “Cleats and Convos.” Aiyuk emphasized that his choice ultimately centered on “staying with the family” when he finalized his contract extension last August.
Deebo Samuel also weighed in on the situation, sharing some of the advice he offered to his teammate. Samuel faced contract disputes with the 49ers himself in 2022.
“I gave him a heads-up early on, saying, ‘bruh, it’s going to be tough; it won’t be as easy as you might hope,'” Samuel explained.
“I just told him that ‘in the end, it will work out however it is meant to.’ I didn’t want to dive too deeply into it because when I went through my challenges, I didn’t want to be bothered either.”
Aiyuk Suggests Negotiations Could Have Been Smoother
Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension just weeks before the start of the season. He initially requested a trade in July, sparking interest from various teams during the offseason, and the 49ers even entertained offers, coming close to trading him to the Pittsburgh Steelers at one point.
During a press conference before the season began, Aiyuk admitted that the stall in the negotiations was partly due to his own actions.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it; I made it a bit more complicated than it needed to be in the end,” he noted.
Aiyuk recorded just four catches for 43 yards in the 49ers’ loss to the Vikings on Sunday, and his performance in the previous week’s win against the Jets was similarly underwhelming.
Image Source: Brandon Aiyuk @ Instagram
