Brandon Aiyuk was a constant topic of conversation a few weeks ago, when it seemed like a resolution to his contract standoff was imminent. Then, nothing.
It seems obvious that the San Francisco 49ers do not want to trade Aiyuk. No contract agreement has been reached. But the 49ers are ready for him to get back to practice.
Aiyuk is under contract, after all. It’s just not the contract he wants.
“At some point, you got to play,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said, via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
For Aiyuk, the day he has to play wasn’t Wednesday. Aiyuk was not present at the start of practice. He had back and neck issues early in camp, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN, and now that he has been cleared, he could be subject to fines for not practicing.
For the entire offseason, the 49ers have taken the high road, saying they want Aiyuk to be part of their team and not expressing any frustration about his hold-in or the contract impasse. But the tone seemed to change Wednesday, 12 days before the 49ers are slated to play the New York Jets in Week 1.
Brandon Aiyuk still in limbo
Lynch’s comment seemed telling. So did 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan saying that Aiyuk had been medically cleared to practice.
“I hope he’s out there,” Shanahan said, via NBC Sports Bay Area.
And nothing changed, as Aiyuk was not at the start of practice Wednesday, via Maiocco.
The 49ers seem to be running out of patience with the situation.
The 49ers did reportedly have the framework of a trade finished with the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this month, but Aiyuk and the Steelers were waiting on the 49ers to sign off. The 49ers never did, and it’s fair to wonder if they had any genuine intention of trading their leading receiver from last season or just wanted another team to set the market on a new contract.
The 49ers are chasing a Super Bowl this season, and they’re further from that goal without Aiyuk. It’s not surprising they aren’t too interested in trading him.
And now, near the end of August, they seem ready to exert their leverage, which is his $14.1 million salary to play this season. As Lynch said, at some point, Aiyuk has to play if he wants that money.
Aiyuk isn’t the only high-profile 49ers player who isn’t practicing. Left tackle Trent Williams wants a new deal, too.
That’s a No. 1 receiver and a future Pro Football Hall of Famer whom the 49ers are unsure they’ll have on the field for Week 1.
“We value Trent, we love Trent, we want Trent here, and I’m hopeful that can happen soon,” Lynch told the media.
This isn’t how the 49ers wanted to start the season. They’re coming off an NFC championship and brought almost all of their roster back. Or at least, they thought they were bringing mostly everyone back before two of their most important players decided to stay away from the club while seeking new deals.
The 49ers seem close to playing some hardball with Aiyuk as everyone waits for something to happen. We’ll see if Aiyuk soon agrees that at some point, he has to play.