Reality slaps Patriots in the face after Brandon Aiyuk's extension news

The never-ending saga between the San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk has finally come to a close, as the wide receiver signed on the dotted line on Thursday evening, earning a 4-year extension worth $120 million to stay in the Bay Area with the NFC West team.

It was a drawn-out battle that looked to have a much different ending, but after it's all said and done, Aiyuk won't be leaving the team he requested a trade from after all.

While the initial news was stunning, especially for those who were convinced he would become a Pittsburgh Steeler or Washington Commander, the breakdown of his contract was more shocking than anything. It was even more surprising to hear the contract was the 49ers' initial offer that he rejected, and it didn't come close to what the Patriots had on the table.

Although we won't ever know the exact details of what Eliot Wolf drew up in a trade offer for Aiyuk, we do know that it was a 4-year extension that would pay him $32+ million a season, making him a top-3 paid receiver in the league.

That was said to be what he wanted from a new contract, and he requested a trade because the Niners weren't close, but that doesn't appear to be true now that we see the details of his new deal.

Brandon Aiyuk rejecting the Patriots' offer is another sign of being an undesirable team to play for

The 4-year extension that Aiyuk signed is worth $120 million, and he's guaranteed $76 million throughout. It is said to be front-loaded, which is likely a significant factor explaining why he chose to forfeit the fight and sign the contract, and will allow him to earn around $30 million a season.

That salary is the same that Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown and Tyreek Hill signed in their extensions recently, making them tied for the fourth highest-paid receivers in the league. But the Patriots offered a minimum of $32 million a season, which would bump Aiyuk up ahead to be tired with A.J. Brown's annual salary.

Besides his disinterest in playing for a team with a 'undesirable quarterback situation,' it further proves a few things about the current state of the Patriots and how far they have fallen.

It was said that Aiyuk wanted to be paid close to Justin Jefferson's money, who is the highest-paid receiver in NFL history. The Patriots were willing to offer that, or at least close to it, but that wasn't enough for him to move to Foxboro, even if it was exactly what he was looking for in an extension.

On top of that, the Patriots not being a winning organization in the post-Tom Brady era is likely another reason that Aiyuk didn't want to become a New Englander, even if he reportedly wanted to go to the Commanders and Steelers, which aren't recently successful teams either.

It's a curse that will hopefully not become the new norm for the Patriots, as they hope to return to their winning culture and become a team that players want to be part of again. This latest reality check should motivate them to continue building a good, competitive team because it certainly won't get any easier.

More Patriots news and analysis: