How the 49ers Learned From the Brandon Aiyuk Contract Drama

Brock Purdy, George Kittle, and Fred Warner should be thanking Brandon Aiyuk.

Sep 29, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) warms up before the game against the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

If you were told before the offseason that the 49ers would finalize contract extensions with George Kittle, Brock Purdy, and Fred Warner well before training camp, would you believe it?

I surely wouldn't have. The 49ers never do that. They love to play hardball and let contract negotiations drag on throughout training camp.

It happened with Deebo Samuel, Nick Bosa, and most recently with Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk. As a result, the 49ers had to hand out contracts they weren't too comfortable with.

Thankfully, they avoided those situations this offseason by wrapping up extensions with Kittle, Purdy, and Warner. It shows growth from the 49ers.

However, that growth can at least be partly attributed to Aiyuk. Without him, the 49ers probably don't get all three of those extensions finalized in the middle of the offseason.

Experiencing the contract drama with Aiyuk that lasted all Summer and for most of training camp is the most exhausting negotiations the 49ers have endured.

He went from conducting social media antics like unfollowing the team on various platforms to uploading videos of himself trolling about leaving and not being wanted.

But what really had to have annoyed the 49ers is that when they finally found a trade partner willing to pay him (Browns, Patriots, Steelers), he took his time to decide before rejecting it.

Aiyuk displayed immense indecision and immaturity. So, of course, the 49ers are going to start feeling ticked off. And while it was largely the 49ers' fault for not locking in an extension earlier, it still doesn't change how annoying it all was.

Once that ordeal was over, it had to have felt like the most incredible exhale ever. Because of that, the 49ers had to have sworn to themselves that they would never place themselves in that position again.

So, while Aiyuk's contract negotiation was an extremely frustrating process, it allowed the 49ers to grow. Kittle, Purdy, and Warner can thank Aiyuk for their extensions being finalized promptly.

It must've been a surreal concept for the 49ers to comprehend.