San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch gave a cryptic answer on Friday via KNBR when asked whether Brandon Aiyuk will remain with the team during ongoing contract negotiations.
Read more: The 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk saga appears to be coming to an end
“You know, I’m not going to characterize any chances or anything like that,” Lynch said. “I can tell you, it’s been a long, arduous, hard process, a hard journey. We started so early and for some reason we weren’t able to get it across the finish line. That was frustrating, but communication with Brandon and his agent has been really good nonetheless and we’re trying to find solutions. You know, I’m always hopeful. I’m an optimistic person by nature and I’m always hopeful that we’re going to get it done and soon. I can tell you, we feel the urgency to have him, the season is coming up and we’ve got plenty of time.”
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The situation has changed several times. San Francisco fielded calls from interested teams before the NFL Draft, but nothing came of it.
Aiyuk then held out throughout training camp, prompting the 49ers to look for a viable transfer option. It looked like Aiyuk’s transfer was inevitable.
Aiyuk reportedly even received a contract offer from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Recently, rumors circulated that the 49ers were willing to sign the receiver long-term.
Lynch confirmed that the organization wants to keep the Arizona State product in San Francisco.
“The good news is that Brandon is working really, really hard. He’s taking care of himself really well this offseason and he’s in fantastic shape. But there are things you have to do on a football field and you have to buy into our team. So we’re working hard and hopefully there’s a solution soon. That’s all I can share with everybody. I understand everybody’s fear. I understand there’s been all kinds of stories and conversations. That’s how people’s lives are these days. I don’t like that part, but we love BA as a player. I think you see that every time he suits up for the Niners. He’s a guy we traded up for in the first round of the 2020 draft. I remember doing that from my guest house during Covid. We’re happy to have him on our roster and we’d really like to keep him. So we’ll see how it goes.”
Lynch could not explain why negotiations have taken so long, although the 49ers hope to keep Aiyuk, but phone calls and research into trade options suggest otherwise.
“I wish I knew, I wish I knew,” he said. “Like I said, we started early and it took a lot of our time, my time. I don’t like that it took so long, but it took so long and you have to deal with the challenges you face.”
Despite the length of the contract situation, Lynch has confirmed that there is no “bad blood” between the two parties.
“No, there’s no bad blood,” he said. “I mean, negotiations can get heated; I think this is the first time he’s gone through that, but there’s no bad blood. I mean, the people that are here, see Brandon out here, there’s a lot of love and respect for the relationship that we’ve had and continue to have and hopefully will have in the future.”
While the situation could be troubling for San Francisco fans, the organization is in a coveted position as Lynch fights to maintain the team’s star status.
“You know (other GMs) always say, ‘Man, we’d love to have your problems,'” Lynch said. “You’ve got a lot of great players there.’ And I think that’s a credit to our entire organization.”
Even though the negotiations were a grueling process, Aiyuk staying in San Francisco would give the team a much better chance of winning the Super Bowl this season.
More news: Steelers wide receiver talks about Brandon Aiyuk transfer
