George Kittle supports Brandon Aiyuk following WR's trade request: 'Hopefully we figure something out'

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The ongoing standoff between Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers will be the underlying topic of conversation on Tuesday as veterans are set to report for training camp.

Joining Monday’s edition of The Insiders, San Francisco’s star tight end, George Kittle, lent his support to Aiyuk following the wide receiver’s recent trade request, adding why his teammate is such an essential part of the 49ers’ offense.

“Brandon Aiyuk is an exceptional football player,” said Kittle during an interview with NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. “He fulfills all the roles of a wide receiver perfectly, even if it means occasionally scoring touchdowns that could have been mine, which I have no issue with. He’s an incredibly versatile receiver and plays a critical role in our offense. Therefore, yes, he deserves to be adequately compensated. I wish him nothing but the best, though there’s not much I can do to assist with his contract negotiations. All I can do is support him from the sidelines and hope we can reach a resolution because he’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever had.”

When you have a receiver who can execute every route, make all the difficult catches, avail himself at the appropriate time, and also contributes significantly in the run game by blocking everyone you need him to, you can see his impact in the run game. Having such a player who sets the pace and tone is extremely valuable to your offense.

Aiyuk requested a trade after a failed offseason trying to secure a long-term deal with the 49ers. The team has reportedly been unresponsive to negotiations since May, according to NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo’s report last week.

Aiyuk, who has gone as far as publicly listing other teams (Commanders, Steelers) as potential landing spots this summer, has been absent from all of the 49ers’ offseason activities, including the club’s mandatory minicamp, which incurred a fine for the wideout.

The 26-year-old has had consistent performance in recent seasons, producing a minimum of 75 catches, 1,000 yards, and seven touchdowns. Aiyuk is set to make 14.124 million in the final year of his rookie agreement and is looking for long-term stability. This comes at a time when many wide receivers across the league have received substantial paychecks this offseason.

Kittle didn’t show any concern about Aiyuk’s contract situation in early July, explaining that the Niners have historically signed players to extensions weeks into training camp. Perhaps the five-time Pro Bowl TE remains unconcerned about it all because of that, but as the defending NFC champions come together on Tuesday, Kittle let it be known how important Aiyuk is for San Francisco.