Niners GM John Lynch on possibly extending Brandon Aiyuk: 'You want a guy' like him going forward

Keeping together a star-studded roster is costly.

The 49ers, stacked to the brim with talent, have as many big money decisions to make as any team in the NFL in the coming years.

One of biggest involves the fate of wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who has blossomed into a star for San Francisco and will enter the 2024 season on his fifth-year rookie option in need of an extension.

"You have to prioritize all these things," general manager John Lynch said Tuesday when asked if extending Aiyuk is his biggest offseason priority. "You know Brandon's entering his fifth-year option, Brandon's been a fantastic player for us. Kyle (Shanahan) calls him a warrior all the time because of how he goes out and competes. And that shines through to anybody, whether you're a trained eye or you're a fan, you can see the passion he plays with, you can see the production that he's had. We're extremely prideful in what he's become, and he should be as well.

"And so your team is comprised of veterans who've been paid very well, of guys who want to be paid very well. We've got one guy on our team who's pretty prominent who can't be paid real well right now because the CBA doesn't allow, so it's all one big puzzle. We've developed a cadence over the years, Kyle and I, where he focuses on the season, we do all the planning, and then we present things to him and we work through it, and that's what we'll continue to do. But of course, you want a guy like Brandon Aiyuk to be a part of you going forward."

Despite playing fourth fiddle to San Francisco's flashier-named skill players -- Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel -- as far as recognition goes, Aiyuk has been the Niners' most prolific receiving option for two straight seasons.

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