The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[Dlts20]

This comes back to him being upset. He probably feels like he's being the bigger person here and now San Fran is playing games trying to get something for him... despite him being forward and up front that he was not going to throw a fit about voiding his owed money.

Yea plus the whole situation is skeptical anyways. Aiyuk got hurt. The 49ers have had a lot of trouble with injuries so guys wanted to rehab on their own away from the facility. Bosa had just done the same and SF had no issues. However with Aiyuk they wanted to force him to go through a lot of their stuff so he was upset because they didn't do that to Bosa.


However, some argue that Aiyuk took it too far, cut them completely off, wasn't keeping them up to date with anything, missing doctors appointments, rehab sessions, etc, but I think that he was just using his own doctors and rehab. It's just as weird situation.

 

[Conn]

I honestly feel that it's like this. They think that they will get Aiyuk at some point and are basically 99 percent sure about it. Therefore you have Aiyuk and Terry. Now they want to wait for the draft. If Love is gone then they will take a WR and be set. If Love is there then they will take him and sign another legit receiver.

Either way they feel like they will end up with Aiyuk and another but will wait for the draft to see how it plays out, unless Jennings drops his price in the meantime because that's the only guy I see us signing before the draft but he's too high right now

Maybe, but feeling that way about Aiyuk didn’t stop them from offering large money deals to Pierce and Doubs. So they clearly weren’t content just bc Aiyuk was hypothetically in their back pocket

 

[Conn]

Pretty sure Chip Skylark isn't real and was actually a one-episode character on Mad Men.

This feels right. A side character in Roger Sterling’s memoir

 

[Dlts20]

Maybe, but feeling that way about Aiyuk didn’t stop them from offering large money deals to Pierce and Doubs. So they clearly weren’t content just bc Aiyuk was hypothetically in their back pocket

Yea but I don't think they really want these other guys, at least for the price but idk.

I actually respect the fact that AP moves the bar depending on the player and is not just acting desperate. Like this guy is worth it but this guy is only worth this and I'm not moving from that

 

[Discobob]

Yea plus the whole situation is skeptical anyways. Aiyuk got hurt. The 49ers have had a lot of trouble with injuries so guys wanted to rehab on their own away from the facility. Bosa had just done the same and SF had no issues. However with Aiyuk they wanted to force him to go through a lot of their stuff so he was upset because they didn't do that to Bosa.


However, some argue that Aiyuk took it too far, cut them completely off, wasn't keeping them up to date with anything, missing doctors appointments, rehab sessions, etc, but I think that he was just using his own doctors and rehab. It's just as weird situation.

Yeah... if Aiyuk felt like the FO was against him and trying to make an example of him... that at least explains his behavior. I'm not saying it justifies it, but it makes more sense... hopefully he would acknowledge some blame behind the scenes, but that doesn't mean that John / Kyle weren't being dicks... 🪙🪙

 

[Riggo44]

Niners are coming across as Bruce Allen level petty.

 

[Dlts20]

Yeah... if Aiyuk felt like the FO was against him and trying to make an example of him... that at least explains his behavior. I'm not saying it justifies it, but it makes more sense... hopefully he would acknowledge some blame behind the scenes, but that doesn't mean that John / Kyle weren't being dicks... 🪙🪙

It seems like everything was OK St first and then went left:

While he continues to take part in daily physical therapy at 49ers headquarters, Aiyuk also has assumed a quasi-coaching role in meetings alongside position coach Leonard Hankerson.


“Those are things he hasn’t seen from his perspective,” Hankerson said of Aiyuk. “He’s seen it from a player’s perspective. But sitting in that meeting room now, I’ve said to him, ‘Brandon, you can be in here and be my coach, you can be my assistant.’

“And he loves that because he can coach up the guys and he helps big-time with that. So just mentally, it’s been one of the biggest things for him.”
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It was also reported that he tried to play even after the back and forth because he was done with his rehab but SF denied him because they knew they were going to try to void his contract at that point

 

[KDawg]

That's cool. I am basing mine on performance of yards per rush and yards after catch this past year.

Except you aren’t.

McNichols had 5.0/ypc. He led all of our RBs. Bill had 4.6. CRod 4.5.

Receiving yards per game:

McNichols 11.5
Bill: 4
CRod: 2.3

Catch %:

Bill: 69%
McNichols: 80%
CRod: 75%

Yards After Contact Per Attempt:

Bill: 2.1
McNichols: 3.5
CRod: 3

Yards after catch per reception:

Bill: 8.6
McNichols: 8.9
CRod: 8.7

Bill wasn’t better than McNichols in anything…

 

[Dlts20]

 

[Canuck]

NSIAP, Standig was on with Sheehan today (mentioned draft thoughs in that thread).

Sheehan apparently had a Donte Whitner on last week, he is now a 49er blogger, says Ayiuk need a psch eval and maybe treatment before any team signs him. Both Sheehan and Standig did not think giving up any compensation for Ayiuk would be wise.

On RBs, Standig thinks Bill is the man, will be the primary back, White more of a 3rd down back. Sheehan felt White could be RB1, as he has had that role in the past. (I think they both undersell Ford)

 

[36ST21]

"Chip Skylark" sounds like it'd be a character in the Barbie movie sequel, competing for Margot Robbie's affections.

Nick Nash should grown a porn 'stache if he doesn't already have one. And buy a baby blue leisure suit.

They kicked the tires on Meadowlark Lemon but he was a bit of a stiff.

 

[Discobob]

Niners are coming across as Bruce Allen level petty.

Hey!

"The culture is Damn good!"

 

[Dlts20]

He does say that everything after Aiyuk left though was his fault though

 

[Gooseneck]

Except you aren’t.

McNichols had 5.0/ypc. He led all of our RBs. Bill had 4.6. CRod 4.5.

Receiving yards per game:

McNichols 11.5
Bill: 4
CRod: 2.3

Catch %:

Bill: 69%
McNichols: 80%
CRod: 75%

Yards After Contact Per Attempt:

Bill: 2.1
McNichols: 3.5
CRod: 3

Yards after catch per reception:

Bill: 8.6
McNichols: 8.9
CRod: 8.7

Bill wasn’t better than McNichols in anything…

Not to mention good on pass protection

 

[RWJ]

Except you aren’t.

McNichols had 5.0/ypc. He led all of our RBs. Bill had 4.6. CRod 4.5.

Receiving yards per game:

McNichols 11.5
Bill: 4
CRod: 2.3

Catch %:

Bill: 69%
McNichols: 80%
CRod: 75%

Yards After Contact Per Attempt:

Bill: 2.1
McNichols: 3.5
CRod: 3

Yards after catch per reception:

Bill: 8.6
McNichols: 8.9
CRod: 8.7

Bill wasn’t better than McNichols in anything…

Dude, it's all good. Attached is what I based my information on as I'm sure you did too rather than just guess. My question was put into Google's URL link.

 

[KDawg]

Dude, it's all good. Attached is what I based my information on as I'm sure you did too rather than just guess. My question was put into Google's URL link.

View attachment 14380

I used Pro Football Reference.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

NSIAP, Standig was on with Sheehan today (mentioned draft thoughs in that thread).

Sheehan apparently had a Donte Whitner on last week, he is now a 49er blogger, says Ayiuk need a psch eval and maybe treatment before any team signs him. Both Sheehan and Standig did not think giving up any compensation for Ayiuk would be wise.

On RBs, Standig thinks Bill is the man, will be the primary back, White more of a 3rd down back. Sheehan felt White could be RB1, as he has had that role in the past. (I think they both undersell Ford)

Literally nobody is giving up anything for Aiyuk because that means you inherit the existing contract.

Hell, even if the 49ers offered a 5th round pick PLUS Aiyuk for NOTHING in return, most teams wouldn't do it because of the contract. Unless there was a re-negotiated contract before the trade (thus negating the need for a pick compensation.)

That contract is an albatross. Nobody wants any part of it.

There is a chance, at least a small one, that if Aiyuk had a virtual nothing contract with nothing guaranteed, somebody would trade for him and give him a shot.

But that isn't the situation.

 

[Dlts20]

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

I made this post on Facebook in reference to our new TE. It was liked by Jayden Daniels. I wonder if he was responding to the first part of the last part:

This may be their most impactful signing. They desperately needed a TE with receiving and YAC ability, they actually need two as I've about given up on Sinnott.

 

[Dlts20]

I made this post on Facebook in reference to our new TE. It was liked by Jayden Daniels. I wonder if he was responding to the first part of the last part:

This may be their most impactful signing. They desperately needed a TE with receiving and YAC ability, they actually need two as I've about given up on Sinnott.

Didn't even know he had fb. I'm sure that it was the first part but who knows. I for one, would like to give Sinnot a chance with Blough. Some coaches just like certain guys