The 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk are Far Apart in Contract Negotiations

Is this business as usual?

The 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk are "not close" to coming to an agreement on a contract extension, according to The NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. Of course, it's only March, so the two sides have plenty of time to get closer and figure out a deal that makes both parties happy. But a deal isn't guaranteed.

It seems this negotiation could go two ways. Because if the 49ers think Aiyuk is asking for too much money now, his value could go up even higher in a few months after Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase sign their extensions and reset the wide receiver market. If one or both of those receivers gets more than $30 million annually, Aiyuk could ask for $28 million or more per year and get it from another team if the 49ers don't want to pay him.

Which means Aiyuk and the 49ers could get further apart as time goes on. And if Aiyuk digs in, so could the 49ers. They possess all the leverage. They don't have to extend Aiyuk's contract. They can make him play out the final year of his deal, which would pay him only $14 million, then they could franchise tag him in 2025 and pay him just $21 million next year. In which case, they would save lots of money.

Or, the Aiyuk negotiation could get done at some point during training camp just as most of the 49ers' contract extensions do. But if so, will Aiyuk hold out of OTAs and minicamp? How much training camp will he miss? Will he play in the preseason? Last year, Nick Bosa held out for most of the offseason and went on to have a down season by standards.

The 49ers need Aiyuk at his best to win a Super Bowl next season. It's in their interest to extend his contract as soon as possible.