Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk's agent denies trade request from 49ers

Brandon Aiyuk wants a new contract but hasn't yet resorted to a trade demand to force the San Francisco 49ers' hand.

Aiyuk's agent, Ryan Williams, denied on social media a report that the star receiver requested a trade.

The wideout enters the fifth year of his rookie contract, set to make $14.1 million. Recently, Aiyuk noted that he is "trying to get what I deserve." In 2023, he earned a career-high 1,342 receiving yards on 75 catches with seven TDs, earning second-team All-Pro honors. He proved worth a pay bump that would put him among the top-tier wide receivers in average salary.

The big-play maven is a key cog in the Niners' offense, and general manager John Lynch emphatically dismissed trade rumors at the owners' meetings last month.

Despite the optimism from Lynch, things might not be going swimmingly with negotiations. Aiyuk recently unfollowed the team on Instagram, a modern-day effort meant to signal a player is miffed during negotiations -- Deebo Samuel made a similar move during his contract talks with the Niners.

At this point, things haven't deteriorated to the point that Aiyuk's agent has sought a trade, but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen down the road. We've seen big-name players traded right before or during the NFL draft (see A.J. Brown), so that's one soft deadline that should give a better indication of how things are going in the Bay Area than the social media posturing.