The San Francisco 49ers are reportedly poised to begin talks over an extension with All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk after free agency.

While there is no specific date attached to the start of negotiations, that report from NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reaffirmed what the Niners have already looked to make clear, that they have no intention of letting Aiyuk go elsewhere. The 2020 first-round pick is, as it stands, set to play the 2024 season on his fifth-year option.

He has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate for the 49ers, who are up against the cap and already have one highly paid wide receiver in the form of Samuel, who signed a three-year, $71 million extension in 2022.

A widely held belief that the 49ers will struggle to carry two receivers on lucrative deals has led to trade talk. Yet Samuel, who requested a trade during his negotiations in 2022, does not envisage Aiyuk going anywhere and had some words of advice for his teammate, with talks likely to drag towards training camp given the usual timeline on which the Niners operate when it comes to paying their stars.

“Yeah, I love that guy. I don’t see him leaving, though. I don’t see him leaving,” Samuel said in his appearance on ‘Up and Adams’.

“If you look at his numbers from when he got to the league and now, it’s always a different type of leap. And so, like I told him, I said, ‘Hey, man, you put yourself in a position to be where you want to be.’ He’s up for a new deal and things like that.

“And I just told 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’ve got to stay the course. You done did everything possible that you did for you to be in a position that you be in, and just let everything play out.”

After posting successive 1,000-yard seasons and being named second-team All-Pro, Aiyuk has undoubtedly earned his payday. But just as his breakout took a few seasons to arrive, Aiyuk may have to show a great deal of patience over the summer as he awaits his reward for his ascension to the ranks of the NFL’s best receivers.