SANTA CLARA — Brandon Aiyuk’s boycott of 49ers practices continued as Thursday’s session began without the idling wide receiver, as well as left tackle Trent Williams.
Each player’s contract status remains in limbo as the franchise enters Labor Day weekend, with its next practice slated for Tuesday ahead of their Sept. 9 regular-season opener against the New York Jets at Levi’s Stadium.
The 49ers’ last practice entering this weekend — their longest break until the Nov. 3 bye — also did not include several players who have rehabilitated on the side: running backs Christian McCaffrey (calf) and Isaac Guerendo (groin), wide receiver Jauan Jennings (oblique), and left guard Aaron Banks (pinky).
McCaffrey has been out since Aug. 4 but looks on track to play Week 1 and start defense of his NFL rushing title. Banks is targeted to return at Tuesday’s practice, with next week’s other sessions expected to occur Thursday through Saturday.
Other injuries to monitor heading into the regular season are those to defensive ends Leonard Floyd (knee) and Yetur Gross-Matos (knee), plus linebacker Dee Winters (ankle) and cornerback Isaac Yiadom (ankle).
Aiyuk’s status has become the most polarizing, so much so that general manager John Lynch exasperatedly said Wednesday: “At some point, you have to play.”
Aiyuk has one year remaining on his rookie contract, at a $14.1 million salary that is less than half the market rate for top-tier wide receivers. Williams is slated to make $20 million in salary entering the fourth year of a six-year contract, which initially made him the NFL’s highest-paid offensive lineman in 2021 but has not placed him outside the top-five annual payouts.
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Coach Kyle Shanahan, in a separate press conference earlier Wednesday, noted that Aiyuk’s contract talks were not nearing a resolution. “Just like I think I’ve said from the beginning, it’s reached a point where all options could happen. And nothing has changed on that,” Shanahan said.
What did change Wednesday was both Shanahan and Lynch declaring Aiyuk fit for practice, after back and neck pain were cited for their leading receiver’s exclusion throughout training camp. Aiyuk also did not participate in the voluntary offseason program, nor June’s mandatory minicamp, though he did show up on time for training camp Aug. 23 to avoid $40,000 in daily fines. However, five-figure fines could be forthcoming if he skips future practices and meetings, though neither Shanahan nor Lynch publicly vowed to access those, yet.
