Brandon Aiyuk saga takes another dramatic turn as WR could stay in SF after all

No Fun League.

That is how I will personally react if all this drama ends with Brandon Aiyuk signing a discount extension with the San Francisco 49ers.

That appears more possible than ever after the latest report from Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz. Evidently, Aiyuk sat down with Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers brass on Friday to air out grievances and express "candid" thoughts. That led to contract negotiations re-opening, which means trade talks are probably on hold.

Schultz calls the situation "very fluid," but the momentum shift is palpable. We've seen this song and dance before. A player gets antsy over stalled contract talks, demands a trade, surveys the options, realizes he wants to stay put, and the two sides come back together.

On Thursday, there was a rather enlightening tidbit of information released by Aiyuk's personal WR coach, TJ Houshmandzadeh. He said Aiyuk has an offer of more than $32 million annually on the table, but that he would accept $28 million from San Francisco. The Niners were, at the time, offering $26 million. A totally negligible difference, if we're being honest.

Now the tides are turning, and perhaps the Niners are coming to their senses. There's no replacing Aiyuk's production this season. It is really worth haggling over a combined, what, $8 million on his next contract? Probably not.

New momentum toward potential 49ers extension for Brandon Aiyuk

This is just stellar news for the Niners fans out there. Aiyuk was the team's most explosive playmaker last season, averaging 17.9 yards per catch and accruing a career-high 1,342 yards with seven touchdowns.

It's easy to get caught up in the Shanahanian brilliance of watching San Francisco's offense, but it doesn't work without elite talent across the board. Aiyuk's speed and power puts such stress on a defense. It simply wouldn't be the same without him on the floor.

Perhaps the Niners can snag a cheaper replacement in a trade, but there's a reason said replacement would be cheaper. Aiyuk isn't exactly asking for the stars and the moon. In the wake of Justin Jefferson's historic contract and a wave of new deals worth $30 million-plus per year for A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and others, it sounds like Aiyuk is asking for base-level respect from San Francisco.

If we are to read the tea leaves, it sure seems like Aiyuk wants to stay in San Francisco, where he has a chance to compete for a Super Bowl next season (and for years after that).

The ball is in the Niners' court. If their offers get more serious, we have to believe Aiyuk will reciprocate and a deal will get done. It shouldn't have taken all these shenanigans, but such is life in the NFL. Front offices are cheap by nature and players want their worth, by nature.

This new update does not rule out an Aiyuk trade, so let's pump the brakes on all-out celebration in San Fran. He could end up in Pittsburgh tomorrow for all we know. But, after days of reports outlining the inevitability of a trade, this sudden reversal sure is noteworthy.