SANTA CLARA — Brandon Aiyuk is reportedly huddling with the 49ers after agonizing this offseason over his future.
Aiyuk called for that meeting to discuss his contract impasse, ESPN’s Ryan Clark reported on Monday’s “NFL Live” show.
July 23 is when Aiyuk and his teammates must report to the 49ers’ training camp or face $50,000 in daily fines for unexcused absences. He is already subject to $100,000 in fines for boycotting the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp this month, after skipping the voluntary offseason program.
“He and his representation, Ryan Williams of Athletes First. And Brandon Aiyuk told us that he wanted to set this meeting up himself,” Clark said on ESPN. “And when he was sitting with The Pivot, he said that he’s taking these negotiations personal. That the way that they have negotiated with him, the way that they have told him why he’s worth what he’s worth, it has touched him.”
The 49ers have insisted all offseason they want to retain Aiyuk for years to come, and he is under contract this coming season at a $14.1 million salary on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal. Meanwhile, wide receivers around the league have signed contract extensions this offseason for average salaries nearly twice that amount.
Last week, Aiyuk shared a video of a FaceTime call (with close friend and Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels) in which he presumably said of the 49ers: “They said they don’t want me back. … I swear.”
General manager John Lynch said during the NFL Draft in late April that they did not entertain any trade offers for Aiyuk or fellow wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Two weeks before the draft, Aiyuk’s agent, Ryan Williams, squashed an online rumor that Aiyuk had officially requested a trade.
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If Aiyuk is taking the negotiations personally, Samuel can sympathize, having dealt with his own protracted contract talks two years ago. “I know this is a stressful time and he’s done a tremendous job throughout his career here,” Samuel said at minicamp June 4, “and when it comes to things like this, it gets tough. Some things you kind of take personal and overall it’s just a stressful process to be honest with you.”
After an up-and-down start to his career as a 2020 first-round draft pick, Aiyuk led the 49ers with 1,015 yards and 1,342 yards the past two seasons, respectively.
On Sunday, Aiyuk posted an Instagram story of him and his family riding in a private jet headed back to the Bay Area, apparently foreshadowing Monday’s meeting.
