He wants his guaranteed money now. Late first rounder. Done in by the PA agreeing to a 5th year option vs all other rounds getting to be free agents (though, I think SF would have franchise tagged him) if that was their only remaining option, like Cincy did to Higgins.I thought he had done that a while back, or was that just an unofficial request? Maybe just a suggestion?
He wants his guaranteed money now. Late first rounder. Done in by the PA agreeing to a 5th year option vs all other rounds getting to be free agents (though, I think SF would have franchise tagged him) if that was their only remaining option, like Cincy did to Higgins.
See how this plays out... He does have a valid contract from the 5th year option so missing any camp time will cost him money in fines.
Hard to say. I recall last season SF was re-negotiating with several players like Kittle and others to free up cap room (for 2023 and likely 2024), but they were not taking pay cuts. So, who knows what they have budgeted in dead cap in the coming years. Even if they dealt Deebo today, he'd still count around $21 mill in dead cap ($15 mill in SB and $6 mill in option left to hit the cap), which is $7 mill less than his current cap hit this season. SF probably regrets doing his deal when he made his fuss a couple of seasons ago.Why exactly are 49ers not giddying up to pay him?
Seems to have improved every year in league and last year established himself as one of the top WR's
Just turned 26 and is the 49ers true #1 with Samuel decline over last 2 years and always seeming to be banged up
+ Samuel outside of his 1 big year hasn't shown himself to be a #1 so it may have been an anomaly one off season
Wash already has McCluerin. And drafted Dotson in round 1, 3 drafts ago, going into year 3. I think Wash should be ok at WR.If Aiyuk wants to get paid and get paid now, go to a team with an up and coming QB with cap space to accommodate.
Washington is one, who else?
I would think that your SF 49ers would need to guarantee Aiyuk that they won't tag him after the season. That he can be a legit complete free agent. Probably the only way your plan can work.Sharks and Niners fan here.
I'm convinced what is happening here is that the Niners intend to go all out to win the Super Bowl this year, and are content to simply let Aiyuk walk next offseason because they can't afford him past this season. I don't think the Niners care about "good asset management" right now, they just want to get Super Bowl Win #6 with this group.
Of course Aiyuk doesn't like that, because in the NFL (unlike other leagues), players don't love having a show off contract year to earn a big free agency contract because of the injury risk. They already want their fat contract now to remove the risk.
Given my belief above, I don't think the Niners are going to honor the trade request. If Aiyuk wants to sit, that's his choice, but then he won't earn his guaranteed $14M this season. For me, coming from a Sharks is my #1 team POV (i.e., hockey-focused perspective), I think Aiyuk just needs to suck it up and play out his contract and ball out for a Super Bowl and then get a fat free agency contract next season. (Or face the possibility of a Niners franchise tag next offseason, which I don't think will happen, but if it does, maybe then you sit out until you get a trade/contract).
I would think that your SF 49ers would need to guarantee Aiyuk that they won't tag him after the season. That he can be a legit complete free agent. Probably the only way your plan can work.
Otherwise, he would assume all of the risk only to get another 1 year contract via the tag.
Patriots … most cap space in the league, need a true #1 WR, former 49er Kendrick Bourne has been trying to recruit him, and Drake Maye has looked really impressive even if he sits for a year.If Aiyuk wants to get paid and get paid now, go to a team with an up and coming QB with cap space to accommodate.
Washington is one, who else?
Patriots … most cap space in the league, need a true #1 WR, former 49er Kendrick Bourne has been trying to recruit him, and Drake Maye has looked really impressive even if he sits for a year.
The talent they need, OT and WR, wasn’t available. Both those positions had horrible depth in free agency, plus why would the top free agents want to come to a 4 win team without (at the time) a QB? And the players they re-signed weren’t the problem, it’s players they need to cut/trade with garbage contracts that Bill signed that are the problem with this team. Out of curiosity, what re-signings don’t you like?In a vacuum it's exactly what they need to do. Unfortunately Kraft is way too cheap to approve a move like that. Hell it's why a 4 win team with $100m in cap space went out in free agency and only re-signed their own same crappy players and brought in no major outside talent.
He wants security. What if he has a debilitating injury in week one this season? It could hurt his market next off season.Sharks and Niners fan here.
I'm convinced what is happening here is that the Niners intend to go all out to win the Super Bowl this year, and are content to simply let Aiyuk walk next offseason because they can't afford him past this season. I don't think the Niners care about "good asset management" right now, they just want to get Super Bowl Win #6 with this group.
Of course Aiyuk doesn't like that, because in the NFL (unlike other leagues), players don't love having a show off contract year to earn a big free agency contract because of the injury risk. They already want their fat contract now to remove the risk.
Given my belief above, I don't think the Niners are going to honor the trade request. If Aiyuk wants to sit, that's his choice, but then he won't earn his guaranteed $14M this season. For me, coming from a Sharks is my #1 team POV (i.e., hockey-focused perspective), I think Aiyuk just needs to suck it up and play out his contract and ball out for a Super Bowl and then get a fat free agency contract next season. (Or face the possibility of a Niners franchise tag next offseason, which I don't think will happen, but if it does, maybe then you sit out until you get a trade/contract).
He wants security. What if he has a debilitating injury in week one this season? It could hurt his market next off season.
SF waited too long to move him. The time to trade him was before the draft. But, WR are really a coin flip of succeeding or not when it comes to draft picks turning out either in round 1 or 2. Even the draft that produced Aiyuk, had Ruggs, Jeudy, Lamb, Reagor, Jefferson in round 1. Probably 3 are legit 1 WR on most clubs. Ruggs is a never know. Reagor a bust and Jeudy, is just ok.I understand that, I'm just saying I understand the Niners position that they want to go for the Super Bowl this year and are happy to let him walk after this season.
Yeah he wants security, but if he refuses to play, he won't get his $14M this season. He doesn't have leverage to demand that security. And the Niners don't have cap space in the future to give it to him anyways, which is the ultimate point. He's a cap casualty that normally a team would trade because that's "Good asset management," but here the Niners, much like the 2021 Rams, are going all out for the Super Bowl and don't care about good asset management.