49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk not present at mandatory minicamp amid search for new contract

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is skipping mandatory minicamp in search of a new contract.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, citing informed sources, reported that Aiyuk was not present at the commencement of minicamp on Tuesday.

Aiyuk skipped voluntary workouts this offseason in search of a pact that better aligns with a soaring receiver market. Missing the three-day mandatory minicamp subjects the receiver to more than $100,000 in potential fines. Unlike veterans on their second contract, however, players on their rookie fifth-year option like Aiyuk could ultimately have their fines waived by the club — as the Niners did last year with Nick Bosa.

The 26-year-old wideout is due $14.124 million in the final year of his rookie contract. Coming off a season in which he was named second-team All-Pro with a career-high 1,342 yards, Aiyuk is in line for an increase that better aligns with the top of the market, which currently has four players above the $30 million-per-year new-money mark and eight over the $25 million plateau. Justin Jefferson reset the market on Monday with a four-year, $140 million extension.

On the day running back Christian McCaffrey saw another payday, Aiyuk wants his first extension.

It’s not surprising that Aiyuk is skipping mandatory minicamp. He’s observing other receivers, including his draft peers, receiving payment and he wants a piece of the action. One of the few bargaining chips players possess is the withholding of their services.

The query here is if the Niners are prepared to meet the growing market or would rather wait it out and address it post another playoff run. The receiver’s readiness to possibly face fines indicates his disapproval of this strategy and hints at his tendency to sit out. What could be the extent of this holdout? Could it last into the training camp, preseason, or even the regular season?

The Niners admitted there was trade chatter leading up to the draft, but GM John Lynch insisted afterward that the club planned to keep the WR corps intact in 2024 — with the addition of first-round wideout Ricky Pearsall. The looming question is whether Aiyuk is willing to play that game. Could he push for a different resolution, or is he willing to risk playing on a lesser deal for a championship contender while anticipating a payday coming in 2025?