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…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/49ers-roster-construction-makes-aiyuk-011320895.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-07-19 01:13:20

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