‘Benchmark’ for  Brandon Aiyuk’s New Deal? 49ers Rumor: Amon-Ra St. Brown Contract

Regarding wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s contract negotiations with the San Francisco 49ers, a modern player from a colder environment seems to be a good point of comparison.

The 49ers are in talks with Aiyuk about a contract extension, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on NFL Live. Aiyuk’s price range is compared to that of Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

“I was told the benchmark here is Amon-Ra St. Brown,” stated Fowler. “Detroit gave him a four-year contract for $28 million annually. Seems like beating that is the aim. Although he doesn’t have to be the best paid player in the league, he has demonstrated enough success in that offense that he will most likely need to be paid at least that much.

In April, St. Brown agreed to a $120 million, four-year contract with Detroit. At the time of the signing, this made him the highest-paid player in the NFL; however, A.J. Brown signed a greater deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.

It’s anticipated that the Minnesota Vikings will pay Justin Jefferson enough to make him the highest-paid wide receiver; CeeDee Lamb, a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, will probably be paid in the same ballpark. But it seems like the 49ers and Aiyuk are aiming for the St. Brown contract as the finest model, rather than chasing those stats.

With 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023, Aiyuk contributed to the 49ers’ No. 1 seed and Super Bowl victory. Although St. Brown had 115 catches for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns, these figures are slightly lower; nevertheless, given that Aiyuk has slightly superior career stats than St. Brown, it may be considered a wash.

Both receivers are essential members of their offenses, which finished in the top five of the league in 2023 thanks to their contributions. Both will aim to guide their teams back to the conference title and beyond in 2024, when their pay may be comparable.