The Niners were in the SB last year... they had to keep their #1 receiver and make a run at the championship didn't they? The only real out here was moving Deebo's contract a year ago but his value tanked the minute they signed McCaffery so that idea probably didn't seem all that appealing either.
Sure, but if they were going to draw a hard line in the sand at "We're not paying you a dollar over x", then what's been the posturing over the last few months? These are the only options once the 49ers have made that call:
1. Aiyuk signs the 49er deal at that price
2. Aiyuk sits out a few games and this distraction heads into the year before he comes back, pissed and we just lose him for nothing next off-season as he walks in FA
3. Aiyuk gets traded to a team that pays him what he wants.
I think it's pretty clear Aiyuk doesn't want to play for the 49ers at our "drawn line in sand" price. So this is something we should have figured out in April to use the draft to our advantage.