Why the 49ers Should Not Extend Brandon Aiyuk's Contract

Brandon Aiyuk will be eligible for his first contract extension this offseason, and the 49ers shouldn't give it to him. They should trade him instead.

That's not to say he's a bad wide receiver -- he's terrific. An outstanding No. 2 option who might blossom into a No. 1 receiver at some point in his career. He isn't a No. 1 option now -- he drops too many contested catches and he doesn't take over games the way go-to guys should.

But he's a fantastic route runner -- one of the best in the league. And he's only 25-years old, so theoretically he's still getting better. And he's on pace to gain roughly 1,400 yards this season, so he's in line for a giant pay day whether or not he makes his first Pro Bowl this year. I'm talking $20 million per season at least. And given the market at wide receiver, Aiyuk will deserve every penny. He has earned this pay day, because he's productive and durable and consistent.

But the 49ers shouldn't pay him. Let some other team splurge.

The 49ers already are paying Deebo Samuel nearly $24 million per season -- do they really need another expensive wide receiver? Maybe if they were a pass-first team, but they're not. They're a run first team. They currently rank 32 out of 32 teams in pass attempts per game.

What's the point of spending $44 million on two wide receivers just to pass the ball less than any other team? Makes no sense.

The smarter move would be to trade Aiyuk for a first-round pick, and spend that pick on a wide receiver. That's what the Bills did when they traded Stefon Diggs for a first-round pick and then spent that pick on Justin Jefferson.

The 49ers should do something like that.