John Lynch Explains Why the 49ers Want to Keep Brandon Aiyuk

"He has earned everything that is going to come his way, and we're really proud of him for that."

ORLANDO -- Finally, it seems the 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk are making progress toward a contract extension.

Aiyuk recently said he has been working out at the 49ers facility and that his agent is communicating with the organization, which means he wants to be here if the 49ers make him a respectful offer. And the 49ers want to keep him around, according to general manager John Lynch.

Here's what Lynch said this week at the NFL Annual Meeting about potentially extending Aiyuk's deal.

LYNCH: "There's nothing better than drafting a guy, developing a guy, watching him flourish and then rewarding him. That's really what we love to do and he's a great illustration of that. Brandon came in a really good player, but Kyle Shanahan has a high standard for receivers, so it wasn't just instant. Aiyuk is a great example of what can happen when you mix that ability, talent, drive with real high expectations. He has become a tremendous player. He has earned everything that is going to come his way, and we're really proud of him for that."

"I'm thankful to our ownership for allowing us to be aggressive but also thoughtful with how we construct things. There's no doubt that because we've been aggresssive so much that there are some realities that we're going to be faced with. We just can't have everybody. Brandon is somebody we would love to keep around."

Q: And does Brandon want to stay?

LYNCH: "Mhm. Whether we can reach an agreement, we'll see."