Kittle responds to 49ers’ Aiyuk saga, offers silver lining to absence originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The 49ers’ 2024 NFL season opener is less than a month away and the team has yet to agree to a new contract extension with star forward Brandon Aiyuk.
After months of intense reporting, negotiations and cryptic social media posts, those closest to Aiyuk, including his 49ers teammates, ultimately want one thing.
“For Brandon, really, I just want what’s best for him,” 49ers tight end George Kittle said on a recent episode of “Audacy’s The TK Show” (h/t Clutch Points). “And if he asks for a trade, I hope he goes somewhere that’s best for him.
“I don’t have a bad relationship with Brandon.”
Aiyuk is still under contract with San Francisco through the 2024 season, which would earn him $14.1 million, but the 26-year-old is hoping for a significant pay increase.
The 49ers could pay him or trade him to a team willing to honor his contractual demands. Teams that have reportedly shown interest include the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns.
While Kittle — and the rest of the 49ers — will certainly miss Aiyuk’s presence during practice, Kittle provided a bright spot in the receiver’s absence this summer.
“I love having him as a teammate, but the one benefit of him not practicing is a lot of the younger guys are getting those reps,” Kittle said. “They’re getting key reps with the 1s and [quarterback] chunk [Purdy] that they wouldn’t otherwise get. I’m probably not going to pick any rookie over Brandon, I’m not going to do that.
“But the fact that these young guys are getting these reps now will put them in a position to succeed if we don’t get it done with Brandon, and they’ll be more ready to go for a season instead of just going with the 2’s and 3’s all the time. It just is what it is.”
If there’s a way to see the positive side of a sensitive situation, Kittle is the one who can do it.
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