How 49ers roster construction makes Aiyuk mega-contract difficult

How 49ers roster construction makes Aiyuk mega-contract difficult originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Brandon Aiyuk is seeking a lucrative long-term contract, but the way the 49ers are built might be causing bumps in the road for both parties.

Aiyuk’s desire for a market-appropriate contract, and the 49ers’ need to make sure they do a deal that makes sense for them, led to the 2023 Second-Team All-Pro requesting a trade earlier this week.

The 49ers’ roster is star-studded with high-priced players on both sides of the ball, and while Aiyuk deserves a multi-year contract that reflects his play on the field, San Francisco might not be able to afford another mega-contract.

On the offensive side of the ball, Deebo Samuel currently earns the highest average salary of $23.8 million per year, just in front of Trent Williams whose annual salary is $23 million. Christian McCaffrey, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, agreed to an extension this offseason netting him $19 million per year, while George Kittle’s salary is the next highest, slated at $15 million per season.

Each position’s market value is a unique category but when looking at how much each player contributes on the field, it might be difficult for the 49ers to justify making Aiyuk their highest-paid offensive player.

Offensive snap counts in 2023

Brock Purdy — 1,066
George Kittle — 1,021
Christian McCaffrey — 935
Brandon Aiyuk — 923
Deebo Samuel — 768
Kyle Juszczyk — 561
Jauan Jennings — 429
Charlie Woerner — 333

Offensive touches in 2023

Christian McCaffrey — 339
Deebo Samuel — 97
Elijah Mitchell — 82
Brandon Aiyuk — 75
George Kittle — 66
Jordan Mason — 43

Yards from scrimmage in 2023

Christian McCaffrey — 2,023
Brandon Aiyuk — 1,342
Deebo Samuel — 1,117
George Kittle — 1,022
Elijah Mitchell — 295
Jauan Jennings — 265

There is no question that the 49ers offense is much better with Aiyuk involved in it, but how much the club can allocate to the star wide receiver might be an issue especially considering a looming extension for quarterback Brock Purdy coming in 2025.

The 49ers also have a quite a bit of star power on the defensive side of the ball. Cornerback Charvarius Ward nets $13.5 million in yearly salary while linebacker Fred Warner earns $19 million per season. The defensive front holds the highest salaries, with Javon Hargrave earning $21 million per season and Nick Bosa the top earner, making $34 million yearly.

Aiyuk’s $14.1 million 2024 salary — the biggest payday of his career — already ranks him eighth highest on the team above Ward in average yearly pay, but among NFL wide receivers, he’s the 18th highest-paid.

If the 49ers were to sign the Arizona State product to a contract that would place him in the top-10 of yearly salaries at his position, which ranges from $24-35 million per year, Aiyuk would become the second highest paid 49ers player behind only Nick Bosa.

The top four offensive player’s salaries add up to $80.8 million and the defensive equivalent is $87.5 million totaling $168.3 million or nearly 66-percent of the allowable $255.4 million cap for only eight of the club’s 51 accounted-for players, or 15.6-percent.

No matter how you slice it, general manager John Lynch and the 49ers front office face difficult decisions that are going to play out during training camp, which starts in one week.

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