Brandon Aiyuk was a regular topic of conversation a few weeks ago when it seemed like a resolution to his contractual impasse was imminent. Then nothing.
It seems clear 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 return to practice.
After all, Aiyuk is under contract. It’s just not the contract he wants.
“At some point you have to play,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said, via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
For Aiyuk, the day he was supposed to play wasn’t Wednesday. Aiyuk wasn’t in the game when practice began on Wednesday. Aiyuk had been having back and neck issues early in camp, according to ESPN’s Nick Waggoner, and now that he’s been cleared, he could face penalties for missing practice.
All offseason, the 49ers have taken a high road, saying they want Aiyuk to be a part of their team and not expressing frustration over Aiyuk’s holdout or the contractual impasse. The tone appeared to change on Wednesday, 12 days before the 49ers play the New York Jets in Week 1.
Brandon Aiyuk still in limbo
Lynch’s comment seemed telling. So did 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan when he said Aiyuk had been medically cleared to practice.
“I hope he’s there,” Shanahan said, via NBC Sports Bay Area.
And nothing changed, because Aiyuk was not present at the start of training on Wednesday via Maiocco.
It appears the 49ers are starting to lose patience with the situation.
The 49ers reportedly had a framework for a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this month, but Aiyuk and the Steelers waited for the 49ers to sign. The 49ers never did, and it’s fair to wonder whether they really intended to trade their leading receiver from last season or if they simply wanted another team to set the market for a new contract.
The 49ers are chasing a Super Bowl this season, and they’re even further away from that goal without Aiyuk. It’s no surprise that they’re not all that interested in trading him.
And now, nearing the end of August, they appear ready to make their leverage felt, namely his $14.1 million salary to play this season. As Lynch said, at some point he’s going to have to play if he wants that money.
Aiyuk isn’t the only high-profile 49ers player not practicing. Left tackle Trent Williams is also seeking a new deal.
That’s a No. 1 receiver and a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, and the 49ers aren’t sure they’ll have him on the field in Week 1.
“We value Trent, we love Trent, we want Trent here and I hope that can happen soon,” Lynch told the media.
This is not how the 49ers wanted to start the season. They are coming off an NFC Championship and have brought back nearly every player on the roster. At least they thought they had brought back nearly everyone, before two of their most important players decided to stay away and seek new deals.
The 49ers appear close to playing hardball with Aiyuk, while everyone waits for something to happen. We’ll see if Aiyuk quickly agrees that he has to play at some point.
