SANTA CLARA — Brandon Aiyuk wore a bright red T-shirt, black shorts and the focused gaze of a very interested observer at 49ers training camp Wednesday.
A day after the 49ers reportedly agreed to a trade that would send Aiyuk to the Pittsburgh Steelers, he looked very much like a 49ers employee still executing a “hold-in” until his lame-duck contract is resolved.
Aiyuk casually watched from a sideline, initially 50 yards away from the action and near the goal line. But once the 49ers moved into a period of red zone drills, teammates spotted Aiyuk and said hello. That included general manager John Lynch, who exchanged a handshake and patted Aiyuk on the back, more as a greeting than any congratulations on a new deal, be it with the 49ers or the Steelers.
Later, Aiyuk found himself in familiar company on the sideline: Deebo Samuel and George Kittle were taking a knee between plays, Kyle Juszczyk joined the mix, and Aiyuk even borrowed Samuel’s water bottle to take a swig.
“I don’t see him all the time, because I’m in camp mode, so to have a conversation with him is fantastic, to see how he’s doing and if everything is going the way he wants it to go,” Kittle said. “… Just the chance to see him is always fantastic. I love the smile on his face.”
How to interpret that smile and family reunion scene? Simply, Aiyuk is still on the 49ers, and his contract status remains in limbo until otherwise announced, as was the case a week ago in camp when he walked onto the field and enthusiastically greeted Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan before retreating to the shadows.
It’s easy, however, to overplay the storyline of a lost son wandering back home. Aiyuk stayed away from all offseason practices and June’s mandatory minicamp. He reported to camp on time three weeks ago, but most interaction with teammates has taken place behind the scenes in the meeting room. He’s watched other practices, typically while sitting in an equipment cart far from the action.
After six months of speculation and social media shots, Aiyuk appeared to move closer to a resolution when the NFL Network reported Tuesday afternoon that a trade to the Steelers was in place and simply waited on the go-ahead from the 49ers, while they also strove to retain their leading wide receiver the past two seasons.
“How much do we miss him? The season hasn’t started yet so we don’t know how much we miss him yet,” cornerback Charvarius Ward said. “… I don’t want to say nothing crazy but they’ll figure it out, eventually.”
Kittle, four years removed from his own contract extension hassle with the 49ers, agreed with Ward’s assessment of Aiyuk’s absence being an unknown factor. Aiyuk has missed only one start since Week 2 of the 2021 season, when he emerged from the proverbial doghouse and showed the every-snap urgency demanded of him.
“As an offense, we don’t know how much,” Kittle added of an Aiyuk exit. “You interchange pieces all the time. We’ve had Trent Williams hurt in a game and still won, so, yeah you miss somebody but can make do with it. So we don’t know at the end of the day. I do know Aiyuk is a fantastic football player and the energy he brings every day just elevates us.”
So, yes, Aiyuk remains welcome. He remains invested. And yet he remains on the periphery. He hadn’t been spotted at practice in over a week, and he did not attend Saturday’s preseason opener at Tennessee.
When a horn sounded three times to signify the end of practice, teammates rushed together and listened as recently inducted Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis broke down their huddle.
Aiyuk, having chatted with Willis earlier in practice, did not join in on the huddle and instead walked alone off the field, tossing a football into the air. He then tossed the ball back and forth a few times with an assistant equipment manager, Guillermo Escalante, and Aiyuk never broke stride as he entered the team’s weight room, which is where running back Christian McCaffrey and other injured players worked out during the 90-minute practice.
Aiyuk didn’t surface on the sideline until after warmups, after which the media was not allowed to take photographs or videos. He looked in tip-top shape, and he stretched his arms and legs as if he recently worked out on his own earlier.
Aiyuk has not been interviewed by local reporters since camp began, nor since he emotionally cleaned out his locker two days after the Super Bowl defeat. He looked at peace Wednesday.
“Wearing red for the first time, too. It’s crazy,” Kittle quipped about Aiyuk’s wardrobe, which did not include a hat, be it a 49ers-issued one or the Pittsburgh Pirates cap he’s donned at times this offseason.
What he saw at practice was the defense dominate early on before the offense came alive in the red zone, highlighted by a Brock Purdy touchdown pass to Kittle, who celebrated by playfully kicking the ball over a fence. No wide receivers made any plays as impressive, and the best catch may have been safety Jaylen Mahoney’s interception of a Tanner Mordecai deep ball.
Aiyuk respectfully kept his distance. In the early portion of practice, he watched alone on the sideline at about the 3-yard line, while Lynch observed from center field at the goal line.
As practice neared an end, four players in yellow-and-black jerseys walked onto a far field. They were there for tryout purposes. They were not sent by the Steelers to commandeer Aiyuk and drag him away from his home the past four years.
Through 15 practices and one preseason game, Aiyuk has been a non-participant. Wednesday’s first-string receivers were Samuel and Chris Conley. Others targeted: Jauan Jennings, Robbie Chosen, and Tay Martin. Danny Gray chatted up Aiyuk while a special teams session took place, and others eventually followed suit.
Lots of talking, with less than a month before the regular season opens, on Sept. 9 against the New York Jets at the 49ers’ steel-built home known as Levi’s Stadium.
Originally Published:
