As the future of the San Francisco 49ers dynamic duo, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel hangs in the balance, the Super Bowl hopefuls have made a firm move towards stability by locking down star running back Christian McCaffrey for another two years.
The franchise has shown its unwavering commitment by securing McCaffrey's services. The two-year extension, worth an estimated £14million annually, is a clear sign of the team's faith in his capabilities.
ESPN also revealed that the two-time NFL All-Pro will pocket an additional £6m, with £18m guaranteed, further cementing the team's dedication to their players. Over his two seasons with the 49ers, McCaffrey has emerged as a key figure and driving force behind Kyle Shanahan's acclaimed West Coast offense variation, playing a significant role in the team's triumphs.
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During his stint in California, McCaffrey has rushed for 2205 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground while also catching 119 passes for 102 yards and 11 touchdowns through the air. In Super Bowl LVIII, the 49ers narrowly lost 25-22 to the Kansas City Chiefs, led by Patrick Mahomes, making them back-to-back champions.
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Once again, McCaffrey was a crucial part of the team's offense, rushing for 80 yards in the game and catching eight passes for 80 yards and a touchdown. The team is strongly committed to maintaining a robust offensive lineup as they gear up for the upcoming season, but the future of Aiyuk and Samuel with the team remains uncertain. Aiyuk has not yet shown up for the team's mandatory mini-camp, indicating his dissatisfaction.
Rumours started swirling when it emerged that Aiyuk, who is in his fifth year of a rookie contract worth £11m, seemed unhappy within the 49ers organization, even going as far as to unfollow the team on Instagram. With the 49ers facing salary cap issues by 2025, talks of a possible trade began to circulate.
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The San Francisco 49ers are yet to make a decision over Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk (Getty Images)The speculation cooled down somewhat after an appearance by General Manager John Lynch on the Pat McAgee show in early May. Lynch stressed his dedication to keeping the team together, despite the lack of new contracts. "During drafts and offseasons, do conversations happen? Absolutely they do. We're past that now. We're thrilled to add to that group - Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Chris Conley, Ronnie Bell, Danny Gray, and now you add Ricky Pearsall [and 2024 fourth-round pick] Jacob Cowing. We made an already strong group even stronger," Lynch stated.
"We don't do that without thinking, 'Can these guys contribute right away? ' And we have a vision for both [Pearsall and Cowing], how they can contribute and be a part, and they represent a lot of the qualities that we like in our players. We're fired up about our team."
Samuel has pledged his allegiance to San Francisco till 2024, having inked an eye-watering £56m extension in 2022. Come 2024, he's set to pocket a tidy sum of £16.5m, followed by a cool £13m breeze in 2025.
Meanwhile, Aiyuk is due for a whopping earning spurt of £11m in 2024 and is chipping away at securing a hefty contract increase. He underscored the potential repercussions on a recent Nightcap podcast if the 49ers fail to recognise his worth, dropping hints at weighing up other avenues, including jumping ship.
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