The Brandon Aiyuk drama in San Francisco continues as he seeks a new contract. The 49ers are going through a similar situation with 11x pro-bowler Trent Williams, who is also pursuing a more lucrative contract. Interestingly though, Aiyuk remains involved in everything else apart from practice, according to HC Kyle Shanahan, while there have been no updates on Williams.
Advertisement
Aiyuk, who has one year remaining on his rookie deal, is “holding in” at camp, attending meetings and other team activities but sitting out practices. During the latest press meet, Shanahan reported “no updates on either,” apart from Aiyuk attending camp.
Shanahan said Aiyuk reported some discomfort in his back and neck but labeled his absence as a “hold in,” while Williams remains a “hold out,” having not showed up to camp at all.
Keeping a neutral tone, Shanahan had expressed his feelings about the Aiyuk situation during a previous press conference, “It’s what we expected and I understand the situation fully.”
As for Williams, Shanahan previously cited “contract related” issues for his absence and that the team is engaged in discussions with representatives about a new deal to replace the final three years of the six-year, $138.1 million contract he signed in 2021.
More importantly, he thinks, Williams skipping a few days of practice is not a big issue:
“I knew it could be a possibility, and I felt pretty confident it’ll all work out in the long run and he’ll be here and we’ll get on the same page with everything. But it’s just one day of practice, and I think Trent will be all right missing a few practices.”
For now though, the only update remains that while Aiyuk is managing to skip fines by showing up to camp, Williams faces a mandatory fine of $50,000 for each day he misses during training camp. But how did the 49ers end up in this situation?
Aiyuk and Williams’ “Hold In/Out” Demands
Aiyuk is seeking a new contract to replace his current rookie deal, while Williams is looking for security beyond this season as he has no guaranteed money left on his contract. The left tackle is also likely aiming for a raise over the $20.5 million he is scheduled to earn this year.
Aiyuk, whose base salary for 2024 is set at $14.1 million, officially requested to trade earlier this month. However, the 49ers don’t seem to have any interest in entertaining that request. The WR has made his dissatisfaction with the proceedings abundantly clear during his various podcast appearances and social media posts.
As for Williams, there were indications as early as spring that he might have been dissatisfied with his contract, with Shanahan suggesting that that’s when contract negotiations started.
Aiyuk’s absence from practice could impact the team’s chemistry and momentum heading into the season, as the 49ers look to establish a clear No. 1 option in their offense. However, as Shanahan says, Williams’ absence might not be that big of a deal if things conclude well in the end.
