Watch stunned Lenoir learn of Aiyuk 49ers trade request on live TV originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
Brandon Aiyuk’s news allegedly requesting a negotiation of the 49ers took the NFL world by storm.
The only difference for your teammate Deommodore Lenoir was that the young cornerback was on live television when the news broke.
“Oh no. That can’t be true,” were the first words of a horrified Lenoir when he joined “The Rich Eisen Show” on Tuesday and was told about Aiyuk’s latest plea.
When he was finally able to process the news and collect his thoughts, Lenoir explained how crucial Aiyuk is to the team and how important it will be for them to make a deal.
“He’s extremely important to our offense,” Lenoir said. “The things he can do. The amount of targets he had and the production — it’s unparalleled. So just hearing that news is crazy.”
The star wide receiver has officially requested a trade from San Francisco after failing to reach an agreement on a contract extension this offseason, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday morning, citing a source.
Garafolo notes 49ers “not willing to trade” since May despite a “good meeting” between Aiyuk and the team last month, which led to Aiyuk “respectfully” asking him out.
But if there’s any sign of hope for Lenoir and the Faithful 49ers throughout this tense period with many unknowns, it’s that this isn’t the 49ers’ first rodeo with lengthy negotiation situations.
San Francisco has landed lucrative, long-term extensions with Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Fred Warner and Nick Bosa in the past. Despite the impressive record, Lenoir revealed whether stressful summers and uncertainty in the locker room impact the rest of the team’s focus.
“At the end of the day, we feel like we’re going to go out there and put our bodies on the line to play the game we love, and we kind of deserve what we ask for,” Lenoir said. “But for Aiyuk, he’s a big part of this team, one of the reasons we made it this far to the Super Bowl.
“He means a lot to us.”
Despite the latest developments amid the ongoing contract saga, Lenoir has the utmost confidence that a deal will be reached.
“We were 2 for 2 with Deebo and Bosa, so I feel like there will be some kind of agreement soon,” he said.
And when asked to make a final plea to Aiyuk in an effort to change the receiver’s mind about his latest request, Lenoir sent his teammate a heartfelt message.
“Man, he knows. We talk all the time,” Lenoir said, exhaling deeply and hesitating to convey the next part of his message. “We love you, bro.
“We just need to get it right. Hopefully nothing serious happens, but stay ready. Let’s win that Bowl.”