Brandon Aiyuk’s contract saga with 49ers reaches inflection point amid suspension – NBC Sports Bay Area & California
SANTA CLARA — The Brandon Aiyuk saga may have reached an inflection point Wednesday.
Despite suggestions that this was the day Aiyuk would end his “hold,” nothing changed when the 49ers took to the practice field.
And now this is where things could really get interesting.
General manager John Lynch said Aiyuk was expected to practice because the 49ers’ medical staff had cleared him.
Earlier today, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that there was an “agreement” that Aiyuk would work out.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said Aiyuk never told him he was going to practice, but he said he hoped Aiyuk would be on the field.
Now it looks like the 49ers are ready to play hard.
Up until that point, everyone knew and understood that Aiyuk wasn’t going to practice until his contract situation was resolved. Shanahan even played along by saying Aiyuk was “sore.”
But the overall tone changed Wednesday, now that the 49ers have set their 53-man roster and are beginning preparations to face the New York Jets in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL regular season.
Before Wednesday’s practice, Lynch and Shanahan both said they wouldn’t address the hypothetical discipline situation if Aiyuk didn’t show up for practice later in the day.
Aiyuk did not show up, so this is no longer a hypothetical situation.
Aiyuk’s agent, Ryan Williams, did not immediately respond to a request from NBC Sports Bay Area for comment on why Aiyuk was absent from practice.
Aiyuk has been spotted several times at practices this summer, often watching from the sidelines or going viral with his slaps and taps on Lynch and Shanahan.
Before Aiyuk officially sat out practice Wednesday, Lynch suggested the relationship between the team and the player could still be salvaged.
“I’ve seen things like this before, and they’re disastrous, and they can be quickly forgotten,” Lynch said.
It will be enough to reach a new contract that satisfies both parties, who for the moment seem to be pulling in opposite directions.
Aiyuk remains under contract with the 49ers through the upcoming season on a deal that is expected to pay him $14.124 million on his fifth-year option.
After a solid 2023 season, Aiyuk clearly feels like the time has come to cash in on a multi-year contract.
When negotiations for a new contract broke down during the offseason, Aiyuk requested a trade. The 49ers allowed Aiyuk to talk to at least four teams — the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots and Washington Commanders — to negotiate a contract.
The 49ers appeared to be working on parallel tracks to discuss trades with teams while continuing to keep the door open to a multi-year extension with Aiyuk.
It’s clear the 49ers believe Aiyuk has enough information to make a decision on his next move.
“At some point you have to play,” Lynch said Wednesday.
Given the way things are going, this statement may not be so obvious.
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