Like Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk was omitted from the NFC Pro Bowl roster. Like St. Brown, Aiyuk made the All-Pro team.
St. Brown made the first team, Aiyuk landed on the second team, in a tie with Bucs receiver Mike Evans for the final spot.
“I was so happy for B.A.,” coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Thursday, “because I know how disappointed he was that he didn’t get Pro Bowl or the first-team [All-Pro]. I don’t think much about that stuff because I don’t take that stuff, for lack of a better word, I think it’s kind of a joke. Just in terms of it’s not automatic.
“There’s so many good players who haven’t made it and then there’s some guys in years that shouldn’t have who do. Most of the time they get it right. But it’s such a big deal when it’s said and done. When you’re done playing, all you guys talk about are people’s careers, not just you guys, me, everybody. It’s how many Pro Bowls? How many All-Pros? How many playoff wins? How many Super Bowl wins? All that stuff. When it comes to voting and stuff, I feel for those guys because it is a big deal. But just because they don’t make it doesn’t mean you weren’t one of the best players in the league. I think he got that news at first with the Pro Bowl. But the All-Pro is the real one. I was just so happy he got that because he definitely deserved both. I think he’ll get it next year too because of it.”
Despite Shanahan calling the process “kind of a joke,” it is what it is. Pro Bowl is determined by a vote of fans, players, and coaches. The All-Pro team comes from a panel of 50 media members.
The “kind of a joke” that is the Pro Bowl voting resulted in nine 49ers on the team; the “kind of a joke” that is All-Pro voting landed five 49ers on the first team and two on the second team.
It’s harder to get on the All-Pro team, since it’s based on the entire league.
The honor has another impact on Aiyuk’s career. It raises the stakes for his second contract, especially with Shanahan praising him so candidly. Aiyuk is due to make $14.1 million in 2024, in the option year on his contract. At a time when the market is at or around $30 million per year, Aiyuk is due for a new deal.
And he’ll be more expensive in 2024 than he would have been in 2023, if the 49ers had opted to pay him when the window opened on a second contract.
With a bunch of money already invested in receiver Deebo Samuel and with running back Christian McCaffrey quite possibly looking for a new contract after an All-Pro season of his own, the 49ers can’t pay everyone. For Aiyuk, he might have to go elsewhere to get what he has earned.