The situation involving Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers keeps getting uglier by the day.
On Wednesday, the 49ers took the practice field for the first time since cutting their roster down to 53-men. A roster that included disgruntled wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
During his press conference, 49ers general manager John Lynch expressed hope that Aiyuk would practice amid the contract dispute because he received a clean bill of health from team doctors.
But during the 30-minute window in which media was allowed to watch practice, there was no sign of Aiyuk.
Prior to Wednesday, Aiyuk had been considered a “hold in” because he reported to training camp on time and has been attending meetings with the rest of his team. At the time Aiyuk reported, Shanahan said the wide out was dealing with back and neck soreness. Those injuries allowed Aiyuk to avoid practice while not accruing fines of $40,000 per day.
Following roster cutdowns, Aiyuk was cleared by medical staff, according to Shanahan. That clearance was the driving force behind Shanahan saying he hoped Aiyuk would practice Wednesday, with Lynch later adding that Aiyuk practicing was “the expectation.”
Because of Aiyuk’s decisions to not show up to practice, the Niners now have the option to enforce disciplinary action against him. Under the CBA, Aiyuk can be fined for “unexcused missed activities,” which would include walk-through, curfews, practice and meetings. Those fans can reach up to $16,009 for each activity missed, with a maximum total fine for a single day of $45,769 if a player misses multiple events on the scheduled. From there, teams also have the ability to suspend players for conduct detrimental to the team.
Aiyuk has been seeking a lucrative contract extension, whether from the 49ers or another team. He missed all 20 of the 49ers’ pre-cut-down practices and three preseason games as he and the team have gone back and forth on multiple scenarios. That includes negotiating a long-term contract extension that would keep Aiyuk in San Francisco for the long haul, as well as trade discussions with other teams, namely the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders.
The 49ers open the 2024 season against the New York Jets at home on Monday Night Football. As it stands right now, it seems unlikely that Brandon Aiyuk will be ready for that game and he isn’t the only one. Left tackle Trent Williams is also holding out in hopes of a new deal and so far he has yet to report.
