As training camps begin around the NFL, not every player is planning to report for practice. One of the players who will be absent when his team takes the field is star San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Aiyuk is heading into the fifth-year option season of his rookie-scale contract, and he has been in search of an extension. He and the 49ers have yet to come to terms on a new deal, and he recently requested a trade.
Despite all the drama surrounding the star wide receiver entering the new season, fellow 49ers star Fred Warner isn’t necessarily worried. In fact, he thinks the Niners are in a good spot here.
“When you’re part of such a talented roster, I feel like this is something that goes on every season,” Warner said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “It’s a good issue to have because, obviously, that means that your players are performing at such a high level that you have to have these kinds of conversations.”
Warner’s comments echo those of tight end George Kittle, who said something very similar earlier this month.
“I think, if you look at my career, being a 49er, and the way most of the contracts have gone — I didn’t get signed until the second week of training camp, Deebo [Samuel] was pretty late,” Kittle said during an interview on “The Rich Eisen Show.” “[Nick] Bosa was the first week of the season. That’s just how business is done out there. I’m not in the meetings. I have no idea. I actually go out of my way to not talk to anybody going through contract negotiations, so when people ask me questions, I’m like: I have absolutely no idea.
“But I’m not concerned about it. Aiyuk ‘s a phenomenal football player who’s a big part of our offense, and he’s one of the most complete receivers that I’ve ever played with. So I’m gonna assume that Aiyuk’s gonna be on our team by the time the season starts.”
The Niners certainly have a history of taking their sweet time to get their players signed, and perhaps Aiyuk will just be the latest player to follow that path. However things go, his teammates aren’t begrudging the stance he’s taking in the negotiations.
“It’s a part of the business, and so we all just let them handle that,” Warner explained. “And when he’s back, he’s back. We’ll welcome him with open arms.”
