Lynch made two other points clear: The 49ers are not currently in trade discussions with other teams and are open to allowing Aiyuk to play on his fifth-year option. There were reports of the Jacksonville Jaguars' interest in Aiyuk and the Pittsburgh Steelers' willingness to pursue a trade.
RELATED
When asked if Aiyuk would be open to playing on the fifth-year option, Lynch said, "We'll see. You'd have to ask him that."
In response to Lynch's comments, Aiyuk shared the following on Instagram.
It's unclear if Aiyuk is responding to all of Lynch's remarks or just one specific aspect.
"[W]e have a good history of working with the guys we want to get done to get something done, and it takes two sides," Lynch told reporters. "So, can we do that? We'll see. There's a number of different directions that it could go, but we appreciate the heck out of Brandon and who he is as a player. We want him to be a part of the Niners, so we're going to work towards making that a reality."
With the team-exercised fifth-year option, Aiyuk is set to earn $14.124 million in 2024 if he agrees to play without a contract extension. Obviously, that would not be desirable since any injury this season might impact his value next year.
San Francisco has a vested interest in signing Aiyuk to a long-term deal. In addition to retaining last season's leading receiver and one of the team's top players, the 49ers can reduce Aiyuk's salary cap hit this year with a new contract.
Related News
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers vs. Titans injury updates: Latest news from preseason opener
The San Francisco 49ers are facing the Tennessee Titans at Levi's Stadium in both teams' preseason openers. Below are the latest in-game injury updates for the 49ers. This article will be updated in real time as new information becomes available. Players are listed in order of... -
49ers' Christian McCaffrey contract speculation emerges after training camp setback
NFL situations are often overanalyzed by the media, and that may be the case with San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey's recent training camp setback. McCaffrey has not practiced since August 8, when he was sidelined by what the 49ers described as... -
49ers training camp: Chargers joint practice sparks defensive concerns
The San Francisco 49ers held their 14th full training camp practice on Tuesday as they continued preparations for the 2026 NFL season. The practice was a joint session with the Los Angeles Chargers, whom the 49ers will face in Thursday night's preseason matchup. The 49ers made... -
Kyle Shanahan, Brock Purdy share updates after 49ers-Titans joint practice
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and quarterback Brock Purdy spoke with reporters after Tuesday's joint practice with the Tennessee Titans. Here's everything they had to say. Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff. Head Coach Kyle...