Brandon Aiyuk Contract Rumors: 2024 Salary Cap hit is lower, per report

The San Francisco 49ers drama with Brandon Aiyuk came to a close Thursday with the wide receiver signing an extension. Now the next quesiton is the details. As we’ve said here the guarantees are usually the big thing to see what the contract is really worth.

Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk was able to get the terms on Friday and there were a few things changed for 2024. Friday, we mentioned that He was going to get a nice chunck of guaranteed money.

The details are on Over The Cap. The big things to note is Aiyuk gets an average of $90 million over the first three years per Florio. After that, it essentially becomes year-to-year. So in three years if something happens, the 49ers can make a decision without a bunch of dead money.

Friend of the site and manager of the website 49erscap, Jason Hurley broke down the details and had some interesting things to note also.

First, Aiyuk’s 2024 cap hit is $5.725 million under the new deal. This clears $8.3 million of cap space for 2024, giving the 49ers over $24 million of space this year. The 49ers were already sitting high with cap space in the league and this just makes it easier.

Now, keep in mind. If you look at current cap space, you may see the 49ers with $48 million or so cap space. Remember, that’s because Trent Williams hasn’t reported yet. Once he reports, that number that was in his salary will lower so the cap will be closer to the $24 million amount.

Next is the benefit of that: the 49ers now have some money to either push Trent Williams’ way to get him back or use as the down payment for Brock Purdy’s mega extension in 2025.

Aiyuk’s cap numbers obviously go up from there. $11.191 million in 2025, $16.22 million in 2026, and then in 2027 it jumps to $42 million.

The guarantees stop in 2027. Should he depart from the 49ers, there’s a $9 million dead money hit for a post June 1 designation. 2027 is when he would have that large cap increase, but it’s not guaranteed. Should 2027 roll around that cap number would make him difficult to trade as well for one year since that cap number could level anything with another team. Around then would be the time the 49ers would want to do a negotiation.

Then you get to 2028 where it’s about the same thing. Those last two years are massive, but again, the 49ers have options when they arrive.

When 2027 rolls around we may see a request similar to Trent Williams in that the guaranteed money has run out. I imagine Aiyuk, like Williams, will want to get get paid paid when that time arrives.

I did ask Jason what his thoughts were on the deal overall and who “won” the trade, here’s what he pinged me back:

“Fair for both sides, 49ers get cap relief this yr, $8.399M, & low cap numbers from 2024-2026, and BA gets pretty much $76M GTD by the time next April comes around, so both sides really won the deal, no real loser.

“Plus Aiyuk gets a great cash flow from 2024-2026, $76M, which is what he should have wanted, a high cash flow for the first 3yrs.”

What do you think of the deal?