Jerry Rice believes Brandon Aiyuk should prove his worth amid 49ers contract negotiation standstill

Brandon Aiyuk finds himself in a difficult situation with the San Francisco 49ers ahead of the 2024 NFL season. He is currently entering the final year of his rookie contract but has reportedly been seeking an extension. The 49ers have declined to grant it to him, putting his future in jeopardy as training camp approaches.

Jerry Rice, a 49ers legend and widely considered the greatest wide receiver in NFL history, spoke about the situation with NBC Sports. He gave advice to Aiyuk about what he believes to be the best way to handle his current contract situation.

"Play football and just let his ability speak for itself, and we'll see what happens after the season. That's in his control, that's what you want. I think he would love to have had that security already, and he wouldn't have to really think about it, and he can just go play football. But he still has an opportunity where he can just showcase his ability," Rice explained (per Sports Illustrated).

While Jerry Rice suggested that Aiyuk should let his abilities speak for themselves this season, Aiyuk likely believes he has already done so. He has increased his yardage total in each of his four seasons with the 49ers, surpassing Deebo Samuel as their leading receiver. He was also selected as a second-team All-Pro for his efforts last season.

Despite his significant contributions that helped the 49ers reach the Super Bowl last year, the franchise currently pays him just $14.124 million on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract. With the wide receiver market exploding recently, it's understandable why Aiyuk is seeking a new deal.

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Assessing Brandon Aiyuk's potential new contract value

Brandon Aiyuk (Credits: Getty)

The wide receiver market has elevated to new all-time highs during the 2024 NFL offseason. Justin Jefferson, AJ Brown, and Amon-Ra St. Brown became the top three highest-paid wide receivers in NFL history by AAV and they all did so this year. All three of their contract exceed $30 million in AAV.

While Brandon Aiyuk hasn't been quite as statistically productive as the three of them, his numbers have been similar to DeVonta Smith, who also recently signed a massive contract extension this year. His deal is worth $25 million in AAV, so that may be a good starting point for Aiyuk's negotiations. Over the past three seasons, Aiyuk has recorded just 15 fewer total yards and has scored one more touchdown than Smith.