Why Brandon Aiyuk Can't Give the 49ers a Discount

This isn't about ego or greed. This is strictly business.

Brandon Aiyuk wants a contract extension that will pay him more than $25 million per season and make him one of the highest-paid wide receivers.

Some people might think that makes him greedy. That he should give the 49ers a discount if he really wants to win a Super Bowl. Because $21 miliion per season is a fortune, too. How many millions does a man need before his ego is satisfied?

But this isn't about ego or greed. This is strictly business, and Aiyuk can't afford to give the 49ers a discount, because his teammates wouldn't want him to and neither would the best wide receivers in the league.

As the salary cap increases every year, players want to feel that their salaries will increase as well -- that's only fair. And if Aiyuk accepts a contract extension that's significantly under his market value, other players who aren't as good as Aiyuk could be expected to do the same in the future.

So every player who has any aspirations of signing a mega contract extension in his career is rooting for Aiyuk to hold out for all he's worth. If he caves to the organization, they'll look at him as a sellout who set back players around the league. He's in a tough spot.

The right thing for Aiyuk to do is to hold firm until the 49ers pay him what the market says he deserves. And the right thing for the 49ers to do is to pony up the money or trade him. One or the other.