SANTA CLARA — 49ers general manager John Lynch met with the media to discuss the NFL Draft, which starts Thursday, but the biggest topic was not a prospective rookie, but rather a star receiver currently under contract.
All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, 26, has been the subject of much speculation, as he’s entering the final year of his contract and could be dealt if the 49ers can’t find a long-term deal with him.
At the end of his opening remarks, Lynch tried to get ahead of the topic.
“With B.A., I’ve communicated on many occasions: Our wish is that he’s here as part of the Niners for the rest of his career,” Lynch said.
“We’re working through that,” Lynch added.
Aiyuk has not been around the team, Lynch said. The 49ers have received calls on the star receiver, the executive added.
“I’m not going to get in all those details,” Lynch said. “We’re really focused on B.A. being a part of (our team).”
Aiyuk’s agent recently took issue with a report that Aiyuk had requested a trade. A trade would most likely happen before this week’s draft, so the 49ers could recoup immediate draft compensation.
Lynch, a former All-Pro player himself, prefers to keep business negotiations private out of respect for players.
“We’re having good talks, and I’m just going to leave it at that,” Lynch said. “We’ll focus on the draft here today.”
The situation isn’t novel for Lynch and the 49ers. Just two years ago, Deebo Samuel was in a similar spot. He held out for some of training camp before inking a three-year extension with $58.1 million guaranteed.
Related Articles
NFL Draft: 49ers have history of finding gems in later rounds. Can they do it again?
20 years after death, Pat Tillman still inspires those who knew him well — and many he never met
Championship-minded 49ers return to NFL Draft’s first-round festivities
NFL Draft: Identifying the 49ers’ five greatest positions of need
Inman’s mock draft: 49ers add edge rusher barring trade up for offensive tackle
Although not as versatile as Samuel, Aiyuk might be more important to San Francisco. An elite route runner, Aiyuk was named to the second All-Pro team in 2023. He racked up a career-high 1,342 receiving yards on 75 catches, adding seven touchdowns. In the 49ers’ Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs, Aiyuk grabbed three balls for 49 yards.
Asked if there’s any chance Aiyuk wouldn’t be on San Francisco’s roster on Friday, after the draft, Lynch smiled.
“I wouldn’t anticipate that,” Lynch said.
This story will be updated with more information.
