Star receiver Brandon Aiyuk skipped a second straight day of practice after being cleared by San Francisco 49ers doctors to participate as part of his long-running contract dispute.
Aiyuk hasn’t participated in practice this entire offseason as he seeks a lucrative long-term extension or a trade with coach Kyle Shanahan citing a back injury as the official reason for what is essentially a contract “hold in.”
Shanahan and general manager John Lynch said Wednesday that Aiyuk had been cleared by doctors to practice and they expected him to be on the field. But Aiyuk has still not participated, subjecting him to daily fines.
According to the collective bargaining agreement, players are subject to fines for missing mandatory practices with those increasing to $16,009 a day by the third offense. Players can also be fined for missing meetings, walkthroughs or other mandatory sessions with the maximum for one day reaching $45,769.
Aiyuk did not practice Wednesday or Thursday, raising questions about whether he will play in the season opener against the New York Jets on Sept. 9. The Niners will take the weekend off before returning to practice next Tuesday.
Aiyuk had been a key part of San Francisco’s offense last season as he formed a great connection with quarterback Brock Purdy. Aiyuk had 75 catches and a career-high 1,375 yards last season with seven touchdowns as he earned second-team All-Pro honors.
After an offseason of negotiation between Aiyuk and the 49ers failed to produce a new contract extension for the 2020 first-round pick, Aiyuk formally requested a trade from the team just before training camp. The 49ers have reportedly negotiated with several teams, including the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, over a potential Aiyuk trade.
ESPN reported Thursday that the Browns offered Aiyuk an extension worth more than what San Francisco or Pittsburgh offered, and there have been multiple reports claiming the framework of a trade with Pittsburgh is in place. However, Aiyuk remained a 49er as of Thursday afternoon.
The 49ers are also still without All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, who is holding out as he seeks an improved contract. That leaves the Niners without two of their most important players just 11 days before the opener.
“I feel like the feeling is next man up,” cornerback Charvarius Ward said. “We definitely want to have those guys here. I know they feel like they deserve something more. We just have to roll with the punches. … It’s hard to replace those guys but it has to be a team effort.”
The 36-year-old Williams is owed $20.05 million this season under the six-year, $138.1 million deal he signed in 2021.
Williams’ average annual value of just over $23 million has been surpassed by five offensive linemen since he became the richest player at the position when he signed the deal with Tristan Wirfs, Penei Sewell and Christian Darrisaw all getting deals this offseason worth at least $26 million a year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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