The Tennessee Titans defeated the San Francisco 49ers in their preseason matchup on Saturday night. After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to reporters, and naturally, the topic of Brandon Aiyuk came up. Shanahan, however, offered few updates on the situation with his disgruntled wide receiver, responding bluntly to questions.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Shanahan and other key members of the organization recently had a meeting with Aiyuk and his agent, during which both sides reportedly expressed "some open and candid thoughts." When asked about the meeting, Shanahan stated, "I met with Brandon a bunch here since we started out camp, and I'm not going to get into any personal things between us."
When asked if he was more hopeful about getting a long-term deal done with Aiyuk, Shanahan responded, "I feel the same [way I did when] I talked to you guys last week. I mean, I am hopeful, and I do think it can [get done], but like I said last week, everything's open. But hopefully, it does."
Aiyuk is set to earn $14.124 million in 2024 under a fifth-year option, but he's seeking to become one of the NFL's highest-paid receivers, reportedly looking for a deal averaging around $30 million annually. Aiyuk requested a trade before reporting to training camp, and the 49ers were open to listening to offers from teams like the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers.
However, Aiyuk derailed trades with the Patriots and Browns by indicating he wouldn't sign a new deal with those teams, and the Steelers have yet to offer a trade package enticing enough for the 49ers to part with their star receiver.
When pressed about the recent meeting with Aiyuk, Shanahan reiterated, "Just to be clear with you, I'm not going to share personal stuff between us or any conversations."
Sensing repetition in the questions, Shanahan added, "You can ask again in a different way, and I can answer in the same way, but I'm not angry. If that came off angry, I'm not. I just know what I'm dealing with."
Shanahan was also asked about tackle Trent Williams, who has been holding out of training camp while seeking a restructured contract. Does the coach feel something will get done with the future Hall of Fame offensive lineman?
"I am hopeful about it, and I feel good about that. I mean, I feel optimistic about it, but nothing's changed there," Shanahan said.
