The San Francisco 49ers are trying to figure out how they can keep all of their stars and key players in the fold past this season.
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is entering the final year of his contract, and the two sides don’t seem close to agreeing on an extension, especially with a number of other wideouts getting big new deals across the NFL.
On the other hand, they did give star running back Christian McCaffrey a two-year extension on Tuesday that is reportedly worth about $19 million a year.
Wideout Deebo Samuel implied that the extension was well deserved for McCaffrey, per NBC Sports Bay Area.
“It’s good to see people get what they deserve.”
Deebo on CMC’s contract extension pic.twitter.com/s2l5XPVi1Q
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) June 4, 2024
McCaffrey ran for a league-high 1,459 rushing yards while scoring 14 rushing touchdowns this past season, and that production earned him the Offensive Player of the Year award.
He is a true dual-threat tailback who can not only catch screen passes but also occasionally line up as a wide receiver, and that ability led to him recording 564 yards and seven touchdowns off of 67 catches in 2023.
While Aiyuk reached new heights last season, McCaffrey is San Francisco’s top threat on offense.
Because Aiyuk is due for an extension, there have been rumors that he may be traded, and other rumors have Samuel being moved instead in order to clear up salary cap space for Aiyuk to get extended.
In April’s draft, the Niners took wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the first round, and many surmised that the choice was made in preparation for either Aiyuk or Samuel to eventually be dealt.
NEXT:
Kyle Shanahan Doesn’t Hold Back His Thoughts About Christian McCaffrey
