There has been plenty of recent speculation surrounding 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and whether or not he'll be back with San Francisco next season, and now former Philadelphia Eagles star DeSean Jackson is the latest to weigh in.
With Aiyuk due for a lucrative payday following his second consecutive 1,000-yard campaign in 2023, Jackson recently predicted the 49ers wideout will seek a trade out of the Bay
"I think it's going to be hard for him to stay in San Francisco, obviously, with him going on his fifth year," Jackson told Kay Adams on the "Up & Adams" show Friday. "I don't think they'll be able to get a deal [done]. ... Yeah, let that man be free and go get another deal somewhere else, because in your fifth year, you're really supposed to get that extension.
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"I don't think he wants to go play a whole other season and wait to go get another bag or go secure his bag. So, in this perspective, I definitely see him trying to reach to get up out of there."
Aiyuk, who is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie deal, left his future with San Francisco open as he answered questions from local reporters during locker clean-out day two days after the 49ers' Super Bowl LVIII loss. Additionally, the receiver fanned trade-rumor flames last week with a cryptic post aimed at Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.
And with multiple high-paid players already on the 49ers' roster, Jackson believes Aiyuk very well could end up being the odd man out.
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But general manager John Lynch and Co. have a reputation for paying their stars, including George Kittle, Fred Warner, Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa -- all of whom signed their new contracts close to or after the start of training camp.
Samuel even requested a trade himself before he worked out an extension before the 2022 NFL season, showing that even though contract negotiations can be tricky, a player saying he wants out doesn't mean all is lost.
"I think we've got a nice track record of extending the players that are important to us, and Brandon's a guy we want to keep around for a long time," Lynch said earlier this month at the NFL Scouting Combine.
If and when the GM is able to make that happen remains to be seen.
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