The contract negotiations between wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers might be progressing.
Aiyuk held out of San Francisco's voluntary and mandatory workouts earlier this offseason as he seeks a lucrative contract extension that is expected to make him one of the NFL's highest-paid receivers.
There have been many twists and turns throughout months of negotiations, including the 49ers fielding trade offers for Aiyuk leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft and, most recently, Aiyuk claiming in a social media video that San Francisco "doesn't want him."
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However, the latest development might be a positive sign that the two sides are progressing toward a deal.
ESPN analyst Ryan Clark reported Monday on "NFL Live" that Aiyuk is meeting with the 49ers on Monday after the star receiver requested a sit-down with the team's brass, and that Aiyuk prefers to remain with San Francisco.
“They’re actually meeting with the San Francisco 49ers today,” Clark said on "NFL Live." “He and his representation, Ryan Williams of Athletes First. And Brandon Aiyuk told us that he wanted to set this meeting up himself. And when he was sitting with The Pivot, he said that he’s taking these negotiations personal. That the way that they have negotiated with him, the way that they have told him why he’s worth what he’s worth, it has touched him.
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"It has affected him. He says he wants to be in San Francisco first but is comfortable playing elsewhere if that’s something that the San Francisco 49ers are willing to do via trade.”
Aiyuk posted on social media Sunday night a picture of him on a plane with a "Bay Area, California" location tag that led fans to speculate why he was in the Bay Area after appearing to train elsewhere throughout the offseason.
Well, now we know. Whether or not Monday's impromptu meeting with the 49ers leads to a deal soon, however, remains to be seen.
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