Brandon Aiyuk was in the headlines a few weeks ago as a resolution to his contract dispute seemed imminent, but nothing has happened since.
The San Francisco 49ers obviously don’t want to trade Aiyuk — no contract agreement has been reached — but they are waiting for him to return to practice.
At the end of the day, Aiyuk is under contract, it’s just not the contract he wants.
“At some point we’ve got to play,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said, via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Wednesday wasn’t Aiyuk’s day to play. He didn’t show up to start practice. Per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, he had back and neck issues early in camp and is now fined, so he could be fined for not practicing.
The 49ers maintained their integrity throughout the offseason, saying they wanted Aiyuk to be a part of the team and voicing no complaints about him staying or the impasse over his contract. But that stance appeared to change on Wednesday, 12 days before the 49ers are scheduled to play against the New York Jets in Week 1.
Brandon Aiyuk still in limbo
Lynch’s comments were significant. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was also significant when he said Aiyuk had been cleared by his doctor to practice.
“I hope he’s there,” Shanahan said, via NBC Sports Bay Area.
And nothing changed: Maiocco said Aiyuk did not show up for the start of practice on Wednesday.
The 49ers appear to be reaching the end of their patience with the situation.
The San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk have not come to a contract agreement. (AP Photo/John Locker, File)
The 49ers reportedly had put together the framework for a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this month, but Aiyuk and the Steelers were waiting for the 49ers’ approval. Although the 49ers ultimately did not approve, it’s fair to wonder if Aiyuk had serious intentions to trade last season’s leading receiver or if he simply wanted other teams to set the market for a new contract.
The 49ers are looking to win the Super Bowl this season, but without Aiyuk they’re further away from that goal, so it’s no wonder they’re not interested in trading for him.
Now, as August draws to a close, they appear poised to exercise their leverage of $14.1 million in salary for playing this season. As Lynch said, if they want that money, Aiyuk has to play at some point.
Aiyuk isn’t the only notable 49ers player not participating in practice, as left tackle Trent Williams is also looking for a new contract.
He’s a No. 1 receiver and a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, but the 49ers aren’t sure they’ll have him on the field in Week 1.
“We care about Trent, we love Trent and we want Trent to be here and we hope that happens soon,” Lynch told the media.
The 49ers weren’t meant to start the season like this, winning the NFC Championship and returning nearly everyone they had — or at least that’s what they thought they had before their two most important players decided to leave the team in search of new contracts.
While everyone is waiting for something to happen, it seems the 49ers are trying to enter into hard negotiations with Aiyuk. We’ll see if Aiyuk agrees right away that he has to play at some point.