Jeremy Fowler: 49ers engaged in contract talks, have 'slight edge' in keeping Brandon Aiyuk

Brandon Aiyuk‘s tumultuous trade saga could see him remain in San Francisco after all, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

The 49ers wide receiver seemingly had one foot out the door after requesting a trade from the team last month over stalled contract negotiation talks. Now, it appears the franchise is looking to keep him around long-term.

“Here’s where things stand. The 49ers are engaged in contract talks with Brandon Aiyuk and his representatives, they are hopeful that they can get a deal done,” Fowler said during SportsCenter on Saturday morning. “Pittsburgh remains on standby. They would like to trade for Brandon Aiyuk. They have parameters in place, but trade talks, I’m told over the last week, have been pretty quiet. The people I’ve talked to who thought maybe this was a coin flip a week ago believe that San Francisco probably has a slight edge, maybe 60-40, something like that.

“Executives I’ve talked to around the league do expect the 49ers to end up signing up to an extension that might be in that $30 million per year range, maybe slightly less.”

Minnesota Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson is currently the highest-paid receiver in the league after signing a four-year, $140 million contract earlier this offseason. While Aiyuk’s deal won’t be as large, he’s still expected to be one of the 10 highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL once the pen is put to paper.

According to multiple reports, the Steelers appeared as a likely landing spot for the Pro Bowl receiver. However, the 49ers reportedly were not satisfied with what the Steelers had to offer them, either, which has sent those sides back to the drawing board. For now, it seems as though Aiyuk will continue to put up big numbers in San Francisco.

“I’m told, he’s got some needs that need to be met in that contract that has not yet,” Fowler continued. “They’re trying to hash that out. If he wants to get back in the practice field, they got to sort of meet him somewhere in the middle.”

It should be noted that this time last season, San Francisco didn’t extend star EDGE Nick Bosa until less than a week before the season opener. Using that logic, a deal could come any day for the 49ers star.

Last season, Aiyuk caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and scored seven touchdowns. With his second 1,000-yard receiving season in a row, the 49ers wideout believes he’s done enough to earn his contract extension whether it’s in San Francisco or elsewhere.