Why the 49ers Extending Brandon Aiyuk Initially Was Foolish

There was a case to be made when the negotiations were ongoing that the 49ers should not extend Brandon Aiyuk.

Dec 17, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan talks to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports | Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

It was fun while it was lasted for Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers.

Everything was fantastic in the first four years of their tenure. Unfortunately, once it was time for Aiyuk to be extended, the relationship between the two sides turned sour.

It never recovered from that point on, and that's why the 49ers jumped at the chance to void the 2026 guarantees in Aiyuk's contract. They have so much regret about extending Aiyuk.

It's not even debatable that it's the top contract decision they wish they could have back. The 49ers made it clear through a series of reports last offseason.

They probably feel foolish for extending Aiyuk, and it's valid for them to feel that way. There was an argument to be made for why the 49ers shouldn't have extended him, even before all of this drama ensued.

Why the 49ers were foolish to extend 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

The 49ers are not and never will be a passing offense. As sweet a player as Aiyuk was coming off an All-Pro season, his production that year was never going to increase on the 49ers.

Why cash out a receiver when he was never going to consistently be the focal point of the offense? Christian McCaffrey is the focal point, and the ball gets spread around in the air.

It's great to have Aiyuk for certain situations, like a critical score or third-down conversion. But the best that Aiyuk was going to be was the 2023 version.

The 49ers tying up so much money into him goes against what their offense is. It's running the ball heavily with a nice, healthy serving of pass plays.

Jul 24, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk works out with his teammates during the second day of training camp. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Aiyuk can be somewhat made up in the aggregate. It's not ideal to go that way, but it's the better recourse than investing so much money in one player.

If the 49ers were a passing offense, like how the Vikings are, then by all means, extend Aiyuk. It makes perfect sense to do it if that was their offensive identity.

But the 49ers aren't that. This is the same foolishness when they extended Deebo Samuel after only one, albeit monstrous, good year. How did that work out after all?

Going forward, I wouldn't imagine the 49ers extending wide receivers lucratively. This is not a wide receiver-friendly offense, so it's not sensible for them to do it.

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