49ers’ Kittle Hopes Brandon Aiyuk Gets ‘Money That He Deserves’ amid Contract Rumors

Andrew PetersJuly 23, 2024

Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images

San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle is hopeful that his teammate will get the lucrative extension he’s seeking soon.

Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Kittle had high praise for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and said he hopes he gets “the money that he deserves.”

“Aiyuk’s just a phenomenal football player,” Kittle said. “He does everything you want him to do as a wide receiver, including taking touchdowns from me once in a while, which I’m totally OK with. But he’s just such a dynamic receiver and he’s just such a very important part of our offense. So, yes, getting Brandon Aiyuk the money that he deserves — I hope nothing for the best for him. There’s, unfortunately, not much that I can do to help put with that, except just cheer him on from the sidelines and hopefully we figure something out because he’s one of my favorite teammates I’ve had.”

Kittle’s comments come amid a holdout from Aiyuk as he searches for a contract extension from the 49ers. Aiyuk will play the fifth-year team option on his rookie deal this year and will become a free agent after the season.

Aiyuk recently requested a trade from San Francisco following an offseason of no progress toward a long-term contract extension.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio recently reported that five teams were interested in trading for Aiyuk, though it’s unclear if any of those teams remain a possible trade partner. If the 49ers could land a piece that would help them improve, it seems likely they’d be willing to part with Aiyuk. Otherwise, the team will continue to try to find him a deal he can get behind.

The 26-year-old is coming off the best season of his career, recording 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns while playing a key role in the 49ers Super Bowl run.