Contract sagas for elite NFL wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk (San Francisco 49ers), Ja'Marr Chase (Cincinnati Bengals) and CeeDee Lamb (Dallas Cowboys) have consumed most of the league's preseason oxygen. Here's a look at where the negotiations stand and a prediction for each outcome. Brandon Aiyuk Aiyuk, who's entering the final season of his rookie contract, has been a hold-in during training camp.
On Tuesday, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan offered a grim update on a potential extension for the wideout, telling reporters, "Zero updates, nothing has changed." NFL insider Mike Garafolo relayed on Friday the sides have hit a snag over the final, non-guaranteed year of a proposed four-year extension. Aiyuk might seem like a luxury for an offense that includes 2023 first-team All-Pro Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Deebo Samuel Jr.
, but he is essential for San Francisco, which has championship aspirations. In 2023, Aiyuk led the Niners in targets (105), receptions (75) and receiving yards (1,342). Per data from Pro Football Focus, he was one of the more sure-handed receivers in the league a year ago, too, recording the second-lowest drop rate (2.
6%) among 41 wideouts with at least 90 targets. He also ranked first in PFF's contested catch rate metric (61.5%), which the site defines as "plays where the defender is in range and contests the pass at the catch point.
" Prediction: Aiyuk re-signs with the Niners before the start of regular season The sides s.