With the season opener three weekends away, the San Francisco 49ers are starting to have more concern about the Brandon Aiyuk contact situation.
In an interview with KNBR 680 AM on Friday, general manager John Lynch said, “I’m always hopeful. I’m an optimistic person (by) nature, and so I’m always hopeful that we get there and get there soon. I can tell you we feel the urgency to have him. The season is approaching.”
Aiyuk, wearing a red cap and shirt, watched practice down the sideline Friday for a third straight day.
Why has there not been a resolution to his contract stalemate?
“I wish I knew. I wish I knew,” Lynch told KNBR, with an uncomfortable laugh. “I don’t like that it’s taken this long, but it has and you deal with the challenges you’re faced with.”
The wide receiver, who has been linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers in trade rumors, has not participated in any of the 17 practices. Aiyuk is staging a “hold-in,” which coach Mike Shanahan noted is “how the league works right now. You have a hold-in, guys usually have something wrong with them so they can keep doing that. … B.A. has a sore back right now, and it is what it is.”
Wide receiver Deebo Samuel expressed optimism in an interview on the “Up and Adams Show” with Kay Adams: “I think B.A.’s gonna be a part of this team, so we don’t have to worry about that.”
As for left tackle Trent Williams’ holdout, Shanahan expressed optimism: “We have to work out a contract thing and, I haven’t talked to him, but I think we’ll be able to work that out.”
