Jeff Darlington and Mike Tannenbaum concur that the 49ers should do everything they can to keep Brandon Aiyuk in San Francisco amid rumors he could be traded to the Bills. (1:58)
The San Francisco 49ers fully expect wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to remain with the team going forward, general manager John Lynch said Tuesday.
“We fully intend on Brandon being a Niner,” Lynch told reporters, adding that the 49ers expect him “to be an integral part of the team as he has been.”
After an offseason of contract negotiations that have yet to yield a lucrative extension, Aiyuk requested a trade last week, sources told ESPN, confirming a report by NFL Network. However, sources have told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that other teams that have reached out to the 49ers have been told the team has no intention of trading him.
NFL Network reported that Aiyuk reported to training camp Tuesday despite the trade request. Asked if Aiyuk had reported, Lynch said the 49ers expect all their players to report to camp.
Asked if Aiyuk would be practicing, Lynch said, “we expect all our players to practice.”
Lynch said the 49ers would continue to negotiate with Aiyuk on a contract extension but did not have a target date in mind on when a deal might be reached.
With one year remaining on his rookie contract, Aiyuk has been seeking a big-money extension in line with those of other wideouts who have earned deals this offseason, such as the Philadelphia Eagles’ A.J. Brown, Detroit Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown, Eagles’ DeVonta Smith and Miami Dolphins’ Jaylen Waddle.
Aiyuk, 26, is set to make $14.124 million in 2024, the fifth and final year of his rookie contract.
At various points this offseason, Aiyuk has tried to apply pressure to the Niners to get a deal done sooner than their usual late-summer timeline. He has used social media to voice his displeasure and even posted a video to TikTok of himself telling former Arizona State teammate and current Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels on FaceTime that the Niners “don’t want me back.”
Aiyuk, who is coming off a breakout season in which he posted 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns, did not report to the team’s mandatory minicamp last month because of his contract.
ESPN’s Nick Wagoner contributed to this report.