It all worked out for him, but even Brandon Aiyuk admitted his contract hold-out and trade request with the San Francisco 49ers went on a little too long.
“I’m not gonna lie,” he said on Tuesday, via NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco. “I made it a little more difficult than it needed to be at the end.”
Aiyuk and the 49ers agreed to a four-year, $120 million extension last week after months of angling for a new long-term deal. Aiyuk first requested a trade from the 49ers in July, which led to weeks of speculation about where he would land, if anywhere. Several teams reportedly were negotiating with the 49ers on a potential trade for him — it was the Pittsburgh Steelers who got the closest — but Aiyuk eventually agreed to remain in San Francisco.
His new deal, which includes $76 million in guarantees, made him the sixth-highest paid receiver in the league and will keep him in San Francisco for the next five seasons.
Aiyuk had a breakout season in 2023 with the 49ers. He racked up a career-high 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 75 catches while helping the team reach the Super Bowl, which they eventually lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Aiyuk missed the start of training camp with back and neck issues, but he still didn’t return after he was cleared. He officially practiced with the team for the first time on Tuesday. The length of his holdout and lack of progress on a deal seemed to bug the 49ers as late as last week, too.
“At some point, you got to play,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said.
Now, with his new deal in place, Aiyuk can do just that. He and the 49ers will open their season officially on Monday night against the New York Jets.
“I feel light, I feel more ready than if it didn’t go out this way,” Aiyuk said, via 95.7 The Game. “I’m super excited. I’m feeling fresh, feeling renewed. [I’m] coming in with new energy, so just excited to play football again.”