San Francisco 49ers star receiver Brandon Aiyuk has requested a trade, but hey, that won't keep him from taking part in training camp.
Per NFL Media and Pro Football Talk, Aiyuk will indeed join the team when camp starts. He is seeking a contract extension and since one hasn't been given ... well, he is supposedly looking to move on.
"Though he's reporting, Aiyuk could still stage a hold-in by not participating in practice until his contract situation is resolved," wrote Myles Simmons of PFT. "This approach would allow him to avoid fines for his absence."
Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Aiyuk requested the trade "unsuccessful attempts to reach an extension. Despite a recent meeting, the Niners haven't been willing to engage in negotiations since May so Aiyuk has respectfully asked out."
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk further explained the situation:
"Aiyuk, a second-team All-Pro in 2023, is entering the option year of his rookie deal. He's due to make $14.1 million this season. Before the draft, we heard that the 49ers quietly gave Aiyuk's agents permission to seek a trade. That came after the 49ers had told the Steelers in February that Aiyuk wasn't available.
Meanwhile, the Niners have made it clear they do not intend to trade Aiyuk. Of course, as Florio noted, that doesn't mean they're keeping him.
"Besides, intentions can change," Florio wrote. "Anyone connected to the NFL knows that. There's a huge difference between saying 'we have no intention to trade Aiyuk' and '(he) will not be traded under any circumstances.'"
All that said, these things tend to work themselves out. Everyone gets ticked off for a while and then bam, there's a contract extension. But we shall see. If the Niners do trade Aiyuk, they would want a star receiver in return. This is a team that just went to the Super Bowl and is aiming to win it. So the situation needs to be resolved here soon.
