SANTA CLARA — Brandon Aiyuk wore a bright red T-shirt and black shorts at 49ers training camp on Wednesday and looked like a very interested observer.
The day after it was reported that the 49ers had agreed to a trade sending Aiyuk to the Pittsburgh Steelers, he appeared as if he was a 49ers employee who would remain “on hold” until his lame-duck contract was resolved.
Aiyuk initially watched the game casually from the sideline near the goal line, 50 yards from the field, but as the 49ers entered red-zone drills, teammates spotted him and greeted him, including general manager John Lynch, who shook his hand and patted Aiyuk on the back — more as a greeting than a congratulatory gift to the 49ers on his signing with the Steelers.
Aiyuk then found some familiar faces on the sideline as Deebo Samuel and George Kittle knelt between plays, Kyle Yuzczyk joined them, and Aiyuk borrowed Samuel’s water bottle for a sip.
“I’m in camp mode so I don’t get to see him all the time, so it’s great to have a conversation with him and see how he’s doing and if everything is going the way he wants it to,” Kittle said. “… It’s always great just to get a chance to see him. I love the smile on his face.”
What to make of all those smiles and family reunions? Simply put, Aiyuk is still with the 49ers, his contract situation up in the air until further notice, as he was at camp a week ago when he stepped onto the field, greeted Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan with enthusiasm, then retreated into the shadows.
But it’s easy to overstate the storyline of a lost son returning home. Aiyuk did not attend any offseason practices or the mandatory minicamp in June. He reported to camp on time three weeks ago, but most of his interactions with teammates took place behind the scenes in a conference room. Aiyuk watched other practices, but usually sat in an equipment cart away from the games.
After six months of speculation and social media posts, Aiyuk appeared to be closer to a solution when NFL Network reported Tuesday afternoon that the trade to the Steelers had been finalized and he was now just waiting for the green light from the 49ers, who have been trying to retain the team’s top wide receiver for the past two seasons.
“How much are we going to miss him? The season hasn’t even started yet, so I don’t know yet how much I’m going to miss him,” cornerback Charvarius Ward said. “… I don’t want to sound crazy, but I think eventually they’ll figure something out.”
Four years removed from his own trouble over a contract extension with the 49ers, Kittle agreed with Ward’s assessment that Aiyuk’s absence is an unknown factor. Aiyuk has missed just one start since Week 2 of the 2021 season. That week, he stepped out of the so-called dog house and showed the urgency that’s required of him on every snap.
“Offensively, we don’t know to what extent,” Kittle added of Aiyuk’s absence. “You rotate guys all the time. We’ve won games with Trent Williams injured, so you can certainly manage without somebody. So at the end of the day, we just don’t know. We know Aiyuk is a great football player and the energy he brings every day just lifts our team.”
Yes, Aiyuk remains welcome, he remains invested, but he remains peripheral.
After the three horns sounded to end practice, teammates gathered in a huddle to listen as linebacker Patrick Willis, a recent Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, broke the huddle.
But Aiyuk didn’t take a step toward the huddle, instead tossing the football in the air as he walked off the field by himself. He tossed the ball back and forth with equipment assistant Guillermo Escalante a few times and didn’t lose pace as he entered the team’s weight room, where running back Christian McCaffrey and other injured players worked out during the 90-minute session.
Aiyuk didn’t appear on the sideline until after warmups, during which the media is not allowed to take photos or video. He looked in top condition, stretching his arms and legs as if he had just worked out on his own. He hasn’t practiced in more than a week and did not take part in Saturday’s preseason opener at Tennessee.
Aiyuk hasn’t been interviewed by local reporters since camp began and since he emotionally cleaned out his locker two days after the Super Bowl loss.
What he saw in practice was a defense that dominated early, then an offense that came to life in the red zone. Brock Purdy’s touchdown pass to Kittle was the highlight, with Kittle celebrating by playfully kicking the ball over the fence. No wide receiver played more impressively. The best catch may have been safety Jaylen Mahoney’s interception of a deep pass from Tanner Mordecai.
Aiyuk kept a respectful distance, watching alone on the sideline near the 3-yard line early in practice while Lynch watched from center field near the goal line.
As practice drew to a close, four players in yellow and black jerseys walked onto the far field. They were there for a tryout. They hadn’t been sent by the Steelers to grab Aiyuk and drag him away from his home of the past four years.
Aiyuk has not participated through 15 practices and one preseason game. Samuel and Chris Conley were the leading receivers Wednesday. Other targets were Jauan Jennings, Robbie Chosen and Tae Martin. Danny Gray talked with Aiyuk during the special teams session, followed by the others.
With the regular season less than a month away, on September 9th, when the 49ers take on the New York Jets at their steel-framed home, Levi’s Stadium, there’s already a lot of buzz going around.
First published: August 14, 2024, 12:33 PM
