Will the 49ers Pick up Brandon Aiyuk's Fifth-Year Option?
A plethora of decisions await the 49ers this offseason.
One of those decisions is the fifth-year option on Brandon Aiyuk's rookie contract. The 49ers have until the first day of May to make a decision on that option. Aiyuk is coming off a career year. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the first time along with new highs in receptions with 78 and touchdowns with eight.
It was an expected breakout year from Aiyuk given he has improved year after year. The writing was on the wall in training camp when he was arguably the best player there. What makes Aiyuk's 2022 season even more impressive is that he played at a high-level despite three quarterback changes. Simply a remarkable season from him.
Still, the 49ers could find themselves hesitant on picking up his fifth-year option. The cost of doing so would put the 49ers on the hook for $14.1 million on his contract in 2024. Given how other players' deals will start to explode on the salary cap like Arik Armstead, Trent Williams, Deebo Samuel, etc., the 49ers could feel reluctant to do so. This is where the "should the 49ers trade Aiyuk?" storyline will become a thing.
Considering the salary cap crunch, will the 49ers pick up Aiyuk's fifth-year option?
They have to. Look, the salary cap is maneuverable. This is where Kyle Shanahan has to tell Paraag Marathe to figure it out. It is what he gets paid to do. If that means they restructure other players' deals to push money down the line to make it work, then so be it. They can't refuse to pick up the option after the season Aiyuk just had. Each and every year he has proven to get better. The guy's stock is always pointing up and there is no reason to doubt he won't continue to ascend.
It would set a bad precedent if the 49ers neglected to pick up his fifth-year option. Besides, this time next year we could be talking about an extension for Aiyuk. He's the 49ers' best pure wide receiver on the roster, so they need him aboard. There is also the factor of him enhancing either Trey Lance or Brock Purdy. They will need an actual wide receiver who can run crisp routes and not just the quick sling to Samuel.
I think what the 49ers end up doing if the salary cap crunch is too difficult to work around is that they end up seeing which of their aging contracts to move off of. Maybe Kittle is a player who they end up seeing as not as impactful or that his best years are behind him. Maybe it'll be Armstead if he has another injury riddled season. Who knows? A lot can change in the next year, but one thing is likely to occur given the pattern is that Aiyuk will continue to ball out.
He is a player the 49ers need to retain and it starts with the fifth-year option.
