49ers, Brandon Aiyuk need to resolve $13M snag before parting ways
San Francisco Chronicle • • sports
Key Points:
- Eric Branch has been covering the San Francisco 49ers for the Chronicle since 2011, following a stint at the Santa Rosa Press Democrat in 2010.
- A UCLA graduate, Branch has earned 10 national APSE awards, including a 2026 accolade for a story on the use of smelling salts in the NFL.
- He was a finalist for the California Sportswriter of the Year award by the National Sports Media Association in both 2024 and 2025.
- Prior to focusing on the 49ers, Branch reported on a wide range of events and worked at several newspapers, including the Logansport Pharos-Tribune and York Daily Record.
- His writing was recognized in "Best American Sports Writing 2001" for a notable column about the experiences of being a small-town sportswriter.
