Some of you may be getting sick of it, but the Brandon Aiyuk saga just keeps rolling on.
The prospect of the ultra-talented Aiyuk leaving the San Francisco 49ers is becoming increasingly likely, causing concern among the team’s leadership.
Both star edge rusher Nick Bosa and head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke openly about the situation on Tuesday, with neither sounding optimistic about retaining the dependable wide receiver.
“It’s brutal. I trust [GM] John [Lynch] and Kyle … But he’s a very tough player to replace,” Bosa said of Aiyuk.
Since being drafted 25th overall in 2020, Aiyuk has been a reliable asset for the 49ers. The Arizona State product has accumulated 3,931 receiving yards across 62 games, averaging approximately 1,078 yards per full 17-game season.
Additionally, Aiyuk has recorded 269 receptions and 25 touchdowns and has proven to be a valuable postseason weapon.
Shanahan has enjoyed incorporating Aiyuk alongside Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, and George Kittle in recent seasons.
However, the veteran coach emphasized the need to focus on the players available for Week 1 as the regular season nears.
“I mean, you want it to be [resolved] badly, but this stuff does take time,” Shanahan said. “Every day I hope it gets resolved, but I have no timetable on it.
“I’m going about coaching the team, getting them ready for Week 1, and hopefully it’ll get resolved sooner rather than later.”
Shanahan will never panic, but he’s clearly getting annoyed.
Shanahan also noted the possibility of reaching a long-term agreement with Aiyuk, stating, “there’s a scenario for anything.”
The situation remains complex.
While Aiyuk cannot compel the 49ers to offer him a top-tier extension due to their ability to franchise tag him for the next two seasons, he can decline any contract from potential trade partners.
Furthermore, the team is unlikely to receive a return that would bolster their Super Bowl aspirations this season for the 2023 second-team All-Pro honoree.
“Brandon’s a great player, so it’s real hard to be better when you lose a great player,” Shanahan said. “So, we’ve got to look at anything, we’ve got to understand the situation we’re in, what that looks like, and that does take time. Hopefully, it’ll all work out best for him and best for us in the long run.”
Despite the uncertainty, Shanahan stressed that there are no significant updates yet.
“I’m not getting into anything specific with offers, contracts, trades, anything like that, but what I can tell you is nothing has changed. I know a lot was out yesterday and stuff, but from the situation with Brandon, nothing has changed,” he said.
Multiple teams have shown interest in trading for Aiyuk including the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders. (Although the latest rumblings suggest that the Patriots are no longer interested.)
The Pittsburgh Steelers have reportedly re-emerged as potential suitors for Aiyuk – although ESPN insider Adam Schefter poured cold water on their chances.
“I don’t expect Pittsburgh to be a landing spot at all,” Schefter said. “I think Pittsburgh, like a lot of teams, checked into this. Here’s the price it would take from the 49ers, here’s the price it would take from Brandon Aiyuk, and every team has to make a decision about whether or not that would work for them. Inevitably, with most teams, it’s not gonna work, and that’s why it’s a hard trade to do.”
At the end of the day, what do you think ends up happening?
Will Aiyuk be a Niner this season? … If so, what about next season???