CAPTAIN SANTA CLARA: At 49ers practice on Friday, Brock Purdy dropped back, planted his right foot in the ground, and threw a 40-yard pass for Deebo Samuel down the right sideline. Then, after a few minutes, Purdy shot Deebo another high and long shot. Next up, another.
Purdy’s point was made, even though none of the three deep heaves in team drills were completed (Deommodore Lenoir intercepted one, while two more were just out of Samuel’s reach). This was a day to let a little hair down.
This was scheduled to be the second day of the highly anticipated joint practices with the Saints in Irvine, California; but, due to a combination of injuries and contract disputes, about a third of the 49ers roster was wiped out, forcing the cancellation of those sessions. The 49ers endured these sweltering summer days by staying at their headquarters. Before the team’s game against the Saints on Sunday, Kyle Shanahan delayed a planned walk-through in order to give the rookies more time to prepare for the highly anticipated rookie talent show, which is set for Saturday night in the team hotel.
Yes, the team as a whole did appear to be ready to let free on Friday. That is the nature of this camp.
“Trying to take some shots and connect with Deebo on a couple deep ones,” Purdy said after practice. “Missed him a couple times and almost connected on some. But yeah, trying to push the ball down the field and continue to build that chemistry.”
Or, to put it another way, the 49ers are about to begin the most critical part of the preseason, when it comes time to solidify the depth chart, choose which players are reliable, and assess what kind of club they actually will be in 2024. Instead of deflecting part of the defense’s attention away from Deebo, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk watched the most of practice on Friday from a corner of the field because the 49ers and the player are still involved in an odd and protracted dispute. In addition, left tackle Trent Williams remained elusive, sulking over a new deal rather than covering Purdy’s blind side.
There is no denying that the stress level has been rising over the past few weeks. On Friday, it was clear that the 49ers’ players, coaches, executives, and owner were all desperately waiting for positive news regarding Aiyuk and Williams.
They require some positive news. Perhaps it is on the way? There is a palpable sense of optimism around Williams’ impending arrival. And instead of taking a plane to Pittsburgh to join the Steelers in a trade, Aiyuk remained on the scene, donning red sweatpants and a red cap. The worst-case situations have not yet materialized. The regular season is almost here. With everything said and done, it is not implausible that Williams and Aiyuk will be practicing in 49ers gear in a matter of a few weeks, just in time to be ready for the team’s Monday night opener against the Jets on September 9.
“I think we’ve gotta work a contract thing,” Shanahan said of the Williams situation. “I haven’t spoken to him, but I think we’ll be able to work that out.”
Williams is definitely worth a larger contract this season and some significant guarantees for next season; a deal akin to the one the 49ers made with Christian McCaffrey a few months ago may be reached with him.
Naturally, the Aiyuk negotiation is more intricate and financial. However, the framework ought to exist for an average yearly value that is slightly more than Amon-Ra St. Brown’s $30 million and less than Justin Jefferson’s $35 million. The amount of guaranteed money, on top of the money owner Jed York has already promised to Nick Bosa and other parties, might be the sticking point. Purdy will also need to commit to York over the upcoming offseason. That is a big amount, for sure. However, it is likely too late for the 49ers to bargain for every dollar.
Aiyuk’s 49ers need him. If he had given up on the talks a few weeks or even days ago, they would have profited, but he didn’t. And now the question is: Does not giving them their best chance to win a Super Bowl this year justify shelling out a few additional million dollars?
“I understand the question,” Shanahan said. “But I don’t look into anything just as a one-year deal. Everything’s tied together. I think we’re as aggressive as we can be every year. And everything is connected to each other, too. Wherever you go with one spot, you’ve gotta go less with another.
“I totally get that from the fan standpoint and everything. If it was that simple, I think it would be a lot easier to figure things out. But too many things do connect and tie together.”
Shanahan is correct when she says that assuming new contracts for Aiyuk and Williams will have financial consequences. This season, the pay cap is not an issue, but starting in 2025 and beyond, things will start to get tight. Then these fresh transactions are included in. Therefore, the 49ers may have to make sacrifices at other positions in the future, which may result in some well-known and highly respected players’ careers being cut shorter. But which of those players will probably be more significant down the road than Williams and Aiyuk are now? And for how many more seasons will any of those guys be worth more than Aiyuk?
No, in response to their inquiries. Thus, a contract involving Aiyuk needs to be completed. The 49ers most likely will not see a glaring financial “victory.” However, they now need to win games rather than have talks.
The 49ers bided their time, saw the explosion of the receiver market, and engaged in a complex and conflictual exchange of words with Aiyuk. Each side has played the other for a bluff. put one another to the test. After the 49ers agreed to trade agreements with the Browns and Patriots, Aiyuk requested a trade but refused to go to those teams. Supposedly, Aiyuk is just awaiting his consent for a trade to the Steelers, which is his preferred option. However, on Friday, Aiyuk was spotted wearing red sweatpants at 49ers headquarters.
This does not imply that a deal with the 49ers will happen soon. However, it is “go” time for both this preseason and this negotiation. Aiyuk is still present, too.
(Photo: Michael Owens / Getty Images)
