49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: 'Being a Champion' Most Important Thing amid Contract Rumors

San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk suggested Tuesday that he wants to play wherever he has the best chance to win a Super Bowl.

According to NFL.com's Bobby Kownack, Aiyuk was asked during locker clean out if he wanted to re-sign with the 49ers, to which he replied: "If that's the right move, yeah."

Aiyuk was then asked what would constitute "the right move," and he remarked: "Being a champion."

The 25-year-old Aiyuk is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2024, as the Niners exercised his fifth-year option for $14.1 million.

Aiyuk enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2022 when he set new career highs with 78 receptions for 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns. Despite playing in one less game in 2023m Aiyuk set a new career high with 1,342 receiving yards and also had 75 catches and seven touchdowns.

While Aiyuk has often been overshadowed by the likes of running back Christian McCaffrey, wide receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle, he was unquestionably quarterback Brock Purdy's favorite target this past season, leading the team in receptions and receiving yardage, and tying for the team lead in touchdown catches.

The San Francisco roster was stacked from top to bottom in 2023, leading to it earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC and reaching the Super Bowl.

For much of Super Bowl LVIII, the 49ers held the lead over the Kansas City Chiefs, but a blocked extra point in the fourth quarter proved costly, as it allowed the Chiefs to tie it with a field goal in the closing seconds of regulation and force overtime.

The 49ers opened overtime with a field goal and needed just one stop to win the game, but all-world quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs on a drive for the ages, culminating in a game-winning touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman.

That left the 49ers just short once again, as they fell in the Super Bowl for the second time in the past five years.

Although San Francisco hasn't won a Super Bowl since the 1994 season, it seems fairly obvious that the Niners will continue to be in the mix for as long as Kyle Shanahan is the head coach and he has the current level of talent on both sides of the ball.

Over the past five seasons, the 49ers have made it to at least the NFC Championship Game four times, and they figure to break through with a Super Bowl win eventually if they keep it up.

Aiyuk is the 49ers' most consistent receiving threat, and while he will be back in 2024 barring something unforeseen like a trade, they can ill afford to lose him after that.

Assuming the Niners are willing and able to make him a significant contract offer to stay, it seems likely that Aiyuk will stick around, as there isn't another team in the NFL besides the Chiefs that has regularly gone on deep playoff runs like the 49ers.