Report: Brandon Aiyuk is Looking to Surpass Amon-Ra St. Brown's Deal

Part of the reason that the 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk haven't made any progress on a contract extension is because of the benchmark Aiyuk reportedly wants to surpass.

Jan 7, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) celebrates after a play against the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports / Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Negotiations on a contract extension with Brandon Aiyuk have gone nowhere for the San Francisco 49ers.

They usually play hardball for most of the offseason. It's been that way dating as far back as with George Kittle, but especially the last two years with Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa. Now, it is Aiyuk's turn to endure it, and he's going to have to bunker down after it is revealed what kind of deal he is seeking.

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Aiyuk is looking to surpass the deal of Detroit Lions' receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

"I was told the benchmark here is Amon-Ra St. Brown," Fowler said. "He got $28 million a year on a four-year from Detroit. The goal appears to be to try to beat that. He doesn't have to be the highest paid in the league, but he's done enough and he's accomplished enough in that offense to where he is probably going to need to be at that number or higher."

If Aiyuk is truly looking to surpass St. Brown, then he is going to be waiting for a long time on a deal. The 49ers giving Aiyuk a deal that is better than St. Brown isn't justifiable. Aiyuk may be coming off an All-Pro season, but St. Brown has been doing it for longer at a high-level.

Not to mention that the impact Aiyuk has and his usage compared to St. Brown is not the same. The 49ers surely want to extend Aiyuk, but he might need to be realistic about his number considering he isn't even the top option in the offense.