San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch has denied suggestions the team are considering trading Brandon Aiyuk, who has been linked with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Wide receiver Aiyuk had a career-high 1,342 yards last season as the 49ers reached Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, where they suffered a dramatic overtime defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Aiyuk is about to enter the final year of the rookie contract he signed when picked 25th overall in the 2020 draft, leading to speculation regarding his long-term future.
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The Steelers are among those linked with the 26-year-old, with Mike Tomlin’s team going big this offseason with moves for quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, as well as star linebacker Patrick Queen.
However, Aiyuk looks unlikely to join that trio in Pittsburgh. Asked about reports that Aiyuk could be traded on Monday, Lynch told reporters: “I promise you nothing’s going on there.
“We’re actively talking with Brandon, trying to figure something out. We have a good history of working with the guys we want to get done to get something done and it takes two sides.
“So, can we do that? We’ll see. There’s a number of different directions that it could go but we appreciate the heck out of Brandon and who he is as a player.
“We want him to be a part of the Niners. We’re going to work towards making that a reality.”
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The Niners could save money for the 2024 campaign by handing Aiyuk a new deal this offseason, with his current $14.1million cap hit being tied to his inflexible fifth-year rookie option.
While an extension could allow the team to spread Aiyuk’s hit, they must be wary of their spending ahead of quarterback Brock Purdy becoming eligible for a huge new deal in 2025.
While San Francisco are desperate to keep hold of a player they have nurtured over the last four seasons, Lynch says there are challenges they must overcome.
“There’s nothing better than drafting a guy, developing a guy, watching him flourish and then rewarding him,” Lynch added. “That’s really what we’d love to do.
“We’re talking with his guys and trying to talk about some parameters of some things. We’re having discussions. That’s a good thing.”
