By Matt Barrows, David Lombardi and Larry Holder
According to a person briefed on the situation, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers is reporting to training camp one week after seeking a trade due to a contract disagreement.
This offseason, Aiyuk, who is about to reach the last year of his rookie deal, has been looking for a long-term extension. Aiyuk’s possible transfer is subject to “no absolutes,” according to general manager John Lynch, who also noted that the 49ers “absolutely intend on Brandon being a Niner.”
“Brandon is a big part of his team and we expect he will be this year,” Lynch said. Asked if he expected Aiyuk to practice, Lynch said, “we expect all our players to practice.”
The 26-year-old Aiyuk just finished his 2023 campaign with 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. Aiyuk has played in four seasons for San Francisco, totaling 269 receptions for 3,931 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Aiyuk, who was selected as the No. 25 choice in the 2020 NFL Draft, improved his performance in 2022 as Brock Purdy developed into one of the league’s top quarterbacks. In 2022, Aiyuk recorded 78 receptions for 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns, surpassing the 1,000-yard threshold.
Along with George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and Aiyuk, this strong skill position core has been strengthened by their contributions. However, wideout Ricky Pearsall was selected by the 49ers in the first round of this year’s draft, casting doubt on Aiyuk’s ability to play past the 2024 season. Entering this season, Aiyuk’s salary cap is currently $14.1 million.
Another difficult contract negotiation for 49ers
In recent years, the 49ers have faced several challenging contract discussions. For instance, the one with Nick Bosa from the previous year persisted until the first week of the regular season. Lynch did point out that Aiyuk’s contract issue has been more difficult than others. The 49ers began the contract negotiations earlier than usual in anticipation of that obstacle, but despite Lynch’s description of “great communication throughout,” it does not seem like a resolution is in sight.
“This one has been challenging,” he said of the talks.
Although Aiyuk and his teammates have reported for training camp, it is unknown if he will be practicing this week. — Matt Barrows, senior writer for the 49ers
San Francisco focused on Super Bowl run
The 49ers’ management has maintained their position throughout this challenging negotiation: Lynch and Shanahan have never completely ruled out transferring Aiyuk, but they have reiterated time and time again that Aiyuk is an important member of their squad and will most likely stay with them.
This makes sense: The 49ers are favorites to win the Super Bowl, and they have a lot of pressure to win everything this season, so they are not in any rush to part with a player of his caliber. – Beat writer for the 49ers David Lombardi
Latest on Pearsall’s injury
Pearsall, a 49ers receiver, will undoubtedly miss this week’s sessions due to a hamstring strain he sustained outside of the facility. He will begin training camp on the non-football injury list. According to Lynch, the injury does not seem to be serious. According to him, Pearsall is anticipated to miss the first four practices. After a players’ day off on Sunday, it is hoped that he will be back on the field on Monday. With Aiyuk out, Pearsall saw a lot of repetitions during spring workouts in May and June, and he looked good. He already appeared to be getting along well with Purdy.
Safety Talanoa Hufanga (knee), defensive end Drake Jackson (knee), and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (achilles) will start camp on the PUP list, while Pearsall will report to camp on an NFI status. This implies that additional players who were sidelined in the spring will likely return to practice in the summer. Kittle, who is back to his playing weight of 243 pounds after dropping to 214 pounds following surgery, center Jake Brendel (knee), tight end Cameron Latu (knee), and cornerback Charvarius Ward (core) are on that list. — Barrows
(Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
