One year ago, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk dominated offseason headlines. Warning signs of the difficult offseason ahead were visible immediately after Super Bowl LVIII, as Aiyuk shared cryptic social media posts about his future after the loss.
The contract negotiation quickly escalated into a contract dispute and sparked a wild rollercoaster ride. Nearly every day, a slew of conflicting reports suggested a wide variety of outcomes and provided plenty of plot twists throughout the saga. There were productive meetings and unproductive meetings. Public comments, cryptic posts and speculation. Perceived negotiation deadlines. Trade requests, trade inquiries and trade proposals. Potential landing spots, mutual interest and declined offers from both sides. Holdouts and fines. Contract offers and demands. Former players chimed in with opinions, while Niners legends offered updates and suggestions.
Ultimately, the contentious battle ended with Aiyuk signing a four-year, $120 million contract extension.
Brandon Aiyuk gave 49ers flashbacks of last offseason's contract dispute
When Aiyuk mentioned “another city” in a social media post on Tuesday, San Francisco fans were understandably concerned. Fortunately, they may not have anything to worry about this time around.
Aiyuk’s post, which included a picture of him in New York, was captioned with song lyrics from “Bigger than Life or Death” by rap artist EST Gee. On the surface, it appears to be a harmless caption that's unrelated to his football career. Then again, it's hard to rule anything out after last offseason.
#49ers Brandon Aiyuk posted up in NYC in his recent IG post pic.twitter.com/7XtqDBYsVK
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) March 4, 2025
San Francisco dealt with the drama in their wide receiver room rather quickly this offseason. The 49ers traded Pro Bowl wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders on Saturday, effectively making room for second-year wide receiver Ricky Pearsall to step into a more prominent role alongside veteran Jauan Jennings and Aiyuk.
Keeping both Samuel and Aiyuk would have been difficult on an offense that already hosts lucrative deals for running back Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle, and left tackle Trent Williams. Niners quarterback Brock Purdy is also due for a significant contract extension this offseason.
Aiyuk’s 2024 season came to an abrupt end after he suffered a torn ACL injury in Week 7. Even before then, he wasn’t off to a great start. Aiyuk compiled just 25 receptions for 374 yards and failed to score a touchdown in his seven starts. That’s a considerable drop off from his 2023 season, when he recorded 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns.