San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk spent the offseason negotiating a new contract with the team and was on the verge of being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers due to a contract dispute.
In fact, FOX NFL insider Jay Glazer said over the weekend that the 49ers had a deal in place to send Aiyuk to the Steelers, but things changed at the last minute: Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension, and the rest is history.
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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk fails to catch a pass from New York Jets cornerback Michael Carter II in the end zone, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Santa Clara, California. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Aiyuk started Monday night against the New York Jets. Just as the first half was winding down, Brock Purdy found Aiyuk in the end zone. Aiyuk dove for the ball but couldn't reach it.
Peyton Manning, who was watching the game on a simulcast with his brother Eli and former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, blasted Aiyuk for failing to get through the end of a lengthy contract dispute.
“Get signed and go to training camp. Training camp is for a reason. You need it,” the Pro Football Hall of Famer enthused on the broadcast. “You need to practice. If you get signed early and you're available to go to training camp, you're not going to screw up on Opening Day.”
Former Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Peyton Manning walks onto the field before start of the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on October 8, 2016 in College Station, Texas. (Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
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“You're catching the ball on a high school field against a quarterback who's 45 years old, but you're not catching the ball against your quarterback. You sign, you show up to camp, and you don't drop the ball.”
Eli Manning also acknowledged that Aiyuk looked out of sorts.
The Aiyuk drama began shortly after the team's loss in Super Bowl 53 and continued through the end of August, with the wide receiver even admitting that he made things “difficult” before the deal was finalized.
New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner blocks a pass intended for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Santa Clara, California. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobson)
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On Monday, the 49ers beat the Jets, 32-19. Aiyuk caught two of five passes for 28 yards.
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