On Wednesday, the San Francisco 49ers will hold their first practice since trimming their roster to 53 players, and head coach Kyle Shanahan is hopeful that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will participate. Aiyuk is currently in a contract standoff with the 49ers as he seeks to become one of the NFL's highest-paid wideouts. He last practiced with the team the week leading up to the Super Bowl in February.
"I know he's been cleared by our doctors, so I hope that he's out there practicing today," Shanahan told reporters.
If Aiyuk does participate, Shanahan noted that his involvement would be limited. He would take part in individual drills but likely be excluded from the more intense team drills. However, his participation is still uncertain.
Shanahan admitted that he has no specific expectations at this time but hopes to see Aiyuk suited up with his teammates for Week 1's matchup against the New York Jets.
Kyle Shanahan says he's hopeful Brandon Aiyuk practices today and can play Week 1 pic.twitter.com/PgQjeNnrLk
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) August 28, 2024
When asked if the 49ers might require Aiyuk to play under his fifth-year option, a deal that would pay him $14.124 million in 2024, Shanahan responded, "Just like I think I've said from the beginning, it's reached a point where all options could happen, and nothing has changed on that."
Regarding potential disciplinary actions should Aiyuk choose not to practice, Shanahan was non-committal.
"I'll deal with that when that happens, if that happens," Shanahan said.
Shanahan also addressed the situation with tackle Trent Williams, who is similarly in a contract standoff. However, he never reported to the team for training camp and has been holding out. Even if Williams signs soon, the coach is cautious about assuming the offensive lineman will be ready to jump back into the lineup.
"That all depends on when we see him, how he looks, how he feels," Shanahan said. "I haven't talked to him for a number of days, but we'll let it be as close as possible. But we just gotta get with him, we gotta see him, we gotta talk to him, very similar to how we were with [DE Nick] Bosa [last year]. There wasn't a day that we would put on the calendar that would be our last day. You hope it's every day that's already passed, so each day makes it harder and harder, but you don't really make that decision until you see someone, talk to him."
