49ers clearly missed their window for an affordable middle ground with Brandon Aiyuk

The San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk are still hammering out the terms on a potential contract extension. Just when you think there's progress, we fall back into this cycle of uncertainty, with neither side appearing amiable to the sort of compromise that is necessary on a contract of this magnitude.

We can hold two truths at once in this world. The Niners are clearly trying too damn hard to "win the deal," while Aiyuk appears to move the goalposts on a daily basis. It has been hard for even the most seasoned and connected NFL reporters to pinpoint Aiyuk's exact contract demands, while San Francisco has made the mistake of letting the market one-up itself all summer.

If the Niners just handed Aiyuk $30 million annually back in April, we probably wouldn't be talking about this right now. But San Francisco opted to wait, and by waiting, the Niners have essentially dug themselves into a deeper hole. Amon-Ra St. Brown inked a four-year, $120 million with the Detroit Lions in April. That was four months ago. At the time, it was viewed by some as an overpay. Now... it's just what we expect from top-end WR contracts.

A.J. Brown, Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith, and D.J. Moore are among the NFL wideouts to receive major new contracts this summer, all at price points that would make the 49ers' front office wince. Oh, and Justin Jefferson ($35 million AAV) and CeeDee Lamb ($34 million AAV) inked the largest non-QB contracts in league history. Ouch.

That all just strengthens Aiyuk's hand and puts the 49ers' front office on defense, battling to lower an increasingly reasonable and substantiated asking price.

49ers should've just paid Brandon Aiyuk a lot sooner

It is abundantly clear that the 49ers want Brandon Aiyuk on the team. Moreover, Aiyuk has more or less made it clear that he wants to be in San Francisco, despite his ongoing and understandable frustration with the front office. It's a lovers' quarrel of a kind, and we are all stuck watching it unfold in real-time, painstaking second after painstaking second.

Maybe this all ends with the Pittsburgh Steelers handing Aiyuk his $120 million bag, but the signs still favor the 49ers. It's a matter of timing now. How much longer can this really drag out with the regular season less than two weeks away? Aiyuk has not practiced for San Francisco and he probably won't until the ink is dry on his next contract.

Paying Aiyuk $30 million annually is a lot — especially when Brock Purdy is about to get nutty QB money in the very near future. Alas, it's part of doing business in the modern NFL. The best players cost a premium and the Niners, despite all their offensive firepower and play-calling genius, still need Aiyuk to reach their competitive ceiling. With the other contracts that have been doled out at the position, $30 million AAV no longer feels like a stretch. There's truly no excuse for why this deal hasn't been signed, sealed, and delivered to the league office.

Alas, still we wait. There has been shockingly little noise on the Aiyuk front in recent days, which either means a deal is imminent, or this is about to devolve into a needlessly messy divorce. I understand the Niners' compulsion to get bottom-dollar pricing, but we are talking about one of the most explosive playmakers in the NFL. Aiyuk averaged 17.9 yards per catch last season.

He's going to get his money one way or another.