Brandon Aiyuk

Deebo confident Aiyuk won't leave 49ers despite speculation

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Deebo Samuel is confident his right-hand man isn't going anywhere any time soon.

While Brandon Aiyuk's 49ers future has been a hot topic this NFL offseason, Samuel downplayed all the speculation Tuesday on the "Up & Adams Show."

"My dog. The season that he just came off of and the seasons previous -- I mean if you look at his numbers from when he got to the league and now, it's always a different type of leap," Samuel said. "So I told him, I said, 'Hey man, you put yourself in a position to be where you want to be for us.'

"He's up for a new deal and I just tell him, because I've been through it, 'It's not going to be all fine and dandy like you think it's going to be. You got to stay the course. You did everything possible for you to be in the position you're in, now just let everything play out.' "

After Samuel praised his fellow 49ers wide receiver, he made one thing perfectly clear.

"I love that guy," Samuel said. "I don't see him leaving, though. I don't see him leaving."

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Aiyuk remains under contract through the 2024 NFL season after being drafted by San Francisco in the first round (No. 25 overall) of the 2020 draft.

His growth since then has been nothing short of drastic as he has become a key component of the 49ers' star-studded offense. And after coming off a career year in 2023 when he tallied 1,342 receiving yards, re-signing Aiyuk is a high priority for the 49ers.

While that became increasingly evident as the 2023 season progressed, things became unclear when cryptic social media posts confused fans who didn't receive any more reassurance a few days later when Aiyuk spoke to the media after the team's Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

“If that’s the right move, yeah,” Aiyuk responded when asked if he hopes to remain with the 49ers in the future.

But in addition to Samuel, general manager John Lynch and the 49ers organization are making it clear where they stand.

“Brandon's one that we think incredibly highly of,” Lynch said last week at the NFL Scouting Combine. “One of my favorite just guys around our building, the way he approaches the game. He's a competitor. He's a warrior. He plays with such a physicality, also with a grace, the way some of the positions his body can get into.

“And then he's got a flair for making plays when it matters most. And he served us very well as a franchise. And I think we've got a nice track record of extending the players that are important to us, and Brandon's a guy we want to keep around for a long time.”

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that he expects San Francisco to address Aiyuk's extension after free agency, similar to how the team has operated in the past with its star players' contract extensions.

Until then, the 49ers Faithful can take a deep breath and, just like Samuel, not stress too much about a deal getting done.

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