Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
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San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch was a guest on Bay Area radio station KNBR on Friday morning, where he was asked about the most pressing issue of the offseason – the contract status of star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Aiyuk and the 49ers are locked in lengthy contract negotiations that are still dragging on even as the regular season quickly approaches. Aiyuk wants to become one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL. At the same time, San Francisco must carefully manage its salary cap, especially with quarterback Brock Purdy expected to get a big-money contract next year.
Frustrated with the lack of progress in negotiations, Aiyuk requested a trade before heading to training camp. The 49ers have considered offers, with the Pittsburgh Steelers being a possible destination. However, after holding out on its original offer for several months, San Francisco has reopened negotiations with the disgruntled receiver.
“I’m not going to characterize any opportunities or anything like that,” Lynch said. “I can tell you this: Our journey has been a long, arduous, hard process. We started so early and for some reason we weren’t able to get it across the finish line. That was frustrating. But communication has been really good nonetheless, both with Brandon and his agent, and we’re trying to find solutions.”
“I’m always confident. I’m an optimistic person by nature, so I always hope that we can do it and soon. I can tell you that we desperately need to have him. The season is just around the corner and we have plenty of time.”
Head coach Kyle Shanahan recently expressed his confidence that Brandon Aiyuk will stay in shape and be ready to start the season.
“I trust that Brandon knows what he needs to do this year to be ready to play,” Shanahan said. “I feel like he’ll find a way to stay in shape and do those things, but I know he’s dying to get back in shape and so are we. Hopefully we can get that done soon.”
Lynch echoed Shanahan’s sentiments and expressed confidence that Aiyuk is preparing for the time when the contract situation is resolved.
“The good news is that Brandon is working really, really hard,” Lynch said. “He took great care of himself in the offseason. He’s in fantastic shape. But there are things you have to do on a football field and you have to get involved with our team there. So we’re working hard and hopefully there will be a solution soon.”
“That’s all I can say to everyone. I understand everyone’s fear. I understand there have been all kinds of stories and conversations. That’s what people do these days and we don’t like that part of it, but we love BA as players.”
Why are these negotiations taking so long?
“I wish I knew,” Lynch replied. “Like I said, we started early. It took a lot of our time, my time. I don’t like that it took so long, but it took so long. And you have to deal with the challenges that you face. I can tell you one thing. When I talk to other GMs around the league about different situations, a lot of them will call and say, ‘I’m just rooting for you in this situation. I was in one last year.’ Or something like that.
“One thing they always say is, ‘Man, we’d love to have your problems. You have a lot of great players there.’ And I think that’s a credit to the entire organization. Our talent acquisition has been really good.”
As for possible hostilities between the two sides, Lynch downplayed the idea of lasting effects.
“No, there’s no bad blood,” Lynch explained. “Negotiations can get heated. I think this is the first time he’s gone through that. But no bad blood. People here see Brandon out here. There’s a lot of love and respect for the relationship we’ve had and continue to have and hopefully will have in the future.”
Lynch also gave an update on the departure of Trent Williams. The veteran offensive lineman did not show up for training camp and is seeking a new contract as his current deal no longer includes a guaranteed salary.
“Trent was not with us, but communication was good,” Lynch said. “Hopefully we can get things cleared up and get Trent back here. Trent has been playing for a long time, is a fantastic player and an important part of our team. He is a special player.”
“So we’re working hard on that as well and hopefully Trent will be back here soon to get back out there with the guys. I know he wants that. I know we want that. Hopefully we’ll have some good news on both fronts in the near future.”
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