Disgruntled wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk sent a strong message to the San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday by continuing to skip practice, signaling that he isn't backing down in his contract standoff with the team.
With NFL roster cuts behind them and teams gearing up for their Week 1 matchups, head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch were hopeful that Aiyuk would return to practice on Wednesday and end his "hold-in," which has persisted throughout training camp. The last time Aiyuk practiced with the 49ers was in the lead-up to the Super Bowl in February.
When asked if disciplinary action might be taken against Aiyuk if he didn't practice, Shanahan responded, "I'll deal with that when that happens, if that happens."
Lynch echoed this sentiment, stating, "Then we'll deal with that."
On Wednesday, Jets head coach Robert Saleh said he's preparing to face the 49ers as if both Aiyuk and holdout Trent Williams will play against them on Monday, September 9. However, Shanahan is preparing for the opposite. For now, he's preparing as if his offense will take the field without these two standout players.
"I'm optimistic that things will work out with Trent," Shanahan said. "I'm not sitting here knowing what day it'll be. We're getting close to playing a game, so my mind is completely on preparing for a game without those guys."
Shanahan acknowledged that when both sides are motivated, deals usually get done. However, that has yet to be the case with Aiyuk and Williams, which is concerning given that the regular season is fast approaching.
Regardless of whether these issues are resolved, Saleh believes the 49ers remain a formidable opponent, even without Aiyuk and Williams.
"I'll say this: with or without them, they are still a championship roster, and they've got some dudes all over their roster," Saleh admitted. "It's going to be a fun game, great challenge."