A 17-second video ramped up speculation regarding 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk's future. Kyle Shanahan, however, downplayed the video that captured him embracing the star receiver who recently requested a trade.
Some interpreted the video to mean that Aiyuk and the 49ers had made progress on a new contract. Others, however, interpreted the video as Aiyuk bidding adieu to Shanahan and general manager John Lynch. Aiyuk's future with the team has been a hot-button topic as the two sides have been unable to agree on a longterm contract.
"That's just usually how we greet each other, honestly," Shanahan said of the video, via ESPN. "You guys would see maybe a lot more hugs in here if we had a film for you guys, but we're not on 'Hard Knocks.'
"We saw him on the field. He hadn't been on the field a lot. We walked by each other and it's usually how we greet each other. Bro hug, nothing more, nothing less. Thank you."
#49ers Brandon Aiyuk just walked to midfield and dapped up John Lynch & Kyle Shanahan 👀 pic.twitter.com/eB6OmbxfW9
— 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙎𝙁𝙉𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨 (@TheSFNiners) July 31, 2024
As you can see, Aiyuk is not practicing but nonetheless has decided to attend 49ers camp. He's currently slated to play this season under his fifth-year option of $14.124 million, which is well below his projected market value.
At this point, what happens regarding Aiyuk's future is anyone's guess. He could play under his option, the 49ers could sign him to a new deal before Week 1, or he could be traded. If he is traded, it's safe to assume that the 49ers would receive handsome compensation for Aiyuk, who caught 153 passes for 2,357 yards and 15 touchdowns over the past two seasons.
One team that has continued to be rumored to land Aiyuk is the Steelers, who this week suffered an injury at the wideout position when rookie receiver Roman Wilson hurt his ankle. During the draft, the Steelers had reportedly had conversations with the 49ers about acquiring either Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel but were unwilling to meet the 49ers' trade requests.
It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out, but in the meantime, Aiyuk and the 49ers will continue to be under the microscope.
