49ers Will Have to Release Several Starters to Re-Sign Brandon Aiyuk: Analyst
he San Francisco 49ers have a roster that almost any NFL team would love to have, but bringing back wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk could be a challenge. The former Arizona State WR has come into his own in San Francisco, but he is due big bucks soon.
The presence of tight end George Kittle, WR Deebo Samuel and running back Christian McCaffery means he’s not solo in the spotlight, but he has established himself as a top-level NFL receiver over the past two years all the same. Now, 49ers salary cap analyst Jason Hurley believes the Niners will have to say goodbye to several players to keep him and recently acquired defensive end Chase Young.
“I mean yeah [the 49ers] could make it work, would mean some combo of Lenoir, Gregory, Banks, & Hufanga are gone, or let to test FA, Gregory would be cut, you wouldn’t want 3 DEs making $14M+ a yr,” Hurley explained on X on October 31. “Plus you have Javon making $21M a yr, and AA likely to be extended next year, $17M a yr IMO, he might take a pay cut to stick around, he’s a good player, I don’t get the hate of Armstead. But it’s doable, just means we lose some players, Gregory for sure is cut.”
There was no way San Francisco we’re going to keep the entire roster intact after 2023. There’s simply too much money being paid, and due, to top players. How they go about that objective is what’s undecided.
Aiyuk on Pace for Career Year
In 2022, Aiyuk reached a career milestone by hitting the 1000-yard receiving mark. He had put up 748 and 826 receiving yards in his first two years, but that was a considerable step up. He appears to be taking another step in 2023.
Through 10 games, Aiyuk has totaled 881 receiving yards. Pro Football Reference shows that his catch percentage (69.2%) has never been better. Further, he’s averaging a whopping 19.6 yards per reception.
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