Why 49ers aren’t forcing Aiyuk to practice amid contract talks

SANTA CLARA — It is no mystery why Brandon Aiyuk did not take part in any of the 49ers' first 17 practices of training camp. When negotiations with the 49ers aimed at arriving at a multi-year contract stalled, Aiyuk requested a trade one week before the opening of training camp. It's a well-known, understood practice that a player who has an unresolved contract issue will avoid the risk of injury — and maintain leverage in negotiations — with the decision to withhold his services to the team. And teams know that it's not a reasonable approach to threaten a fine to force a player to practice against his will, either. Coach Kyle Shanahan has stated — fully aware of the real situation — that Aiyuk is not practicing due to soreness. He stops just short of tilting his head and winking or using air quotes when he says Aiyuk has a "sore back." "I think it has to do with when they have injuries and stuff," Shanahan said about the reason the 49ers are not forcing Aiyuk to get on the field. "I don't sit there and kind of play that game. That's how the league works right now. That's how the rules are. You have a 'hold-in.' Guys usually have something wrong with them, so they can...