Brandon Aiyuk on 49ers Contract: ‘You Can’t Afford a Lamborghini, You Can’t Have One’

Brandon Aiyuk understands his worth.

During an appearance on The Pivot Podcast, the All-Pro wide receiver spoke about the San Francisco 49ers dilemma with managing the contracts of its top players and offered an analogy to describe why the 49ers likely won’t be able to retain everybody.

“I don’t know what the finances are and what they have going on,” Aiyuk said (26:35 in video). “If you can’t afford a Lamborghini, you can’t have one.”

Aiyuk is currently expected to play on a $14.1 million club option in 2024 before hitting unrestricted free agency after the season. He has expressed frustration at the current status of contract negotiations with San Francisco, but does think the most likely playing spot for him this season is with the 49ers.

With him back in the fold, San Francisco would remain the team to beat in the NFC. It went 12-5 in 2023 and reached Super Bowl LVIII. While the 49ers would fall in the championship game, it was still a season full of significant success, and Aiyuk experienced considerable personal success.

He had 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024, which allowed him to earn All-Pro status. He led the 49ers in receiving yards and was tied with Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel for most touchdowns with seven.

Aiyuk, McCaffrey, Samuel, quarterback Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense as a whole have been electric in the past two seasons, but paying every player is a very daunting task. With this in mind, it appears some decisions will have to be made and Aiyuk is prepared for whatever comes next.