Star receiver Brandon Aiyuk returned to San Francisco 49ers practice as a spectator, marking the fourth week of his contract hold-in, still seeking a resolution.
Aiyuk had mostly stayed off the field in recent weeks after making headlines with his lively handshakes with general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan two weeks ago.
He missed the entire offseason program and has not participated in training camp as he aims for either a long-term contract with the 49ers or a trade to a team willing to offer him a new deal and give San Francisco enough in return.
Neither option has been settled yet, but progress might be near, with NFL Network reporting earlier this week that the 49ers have a potential deal framework with Pittsburgh but are waiting to see if they can finalize an agreement with Aiyuk before proceeding with a trade.
Aiyuk appeared at practice late on Wednesday, shook hands with Lynch, and watched part of the session, occasionally chatting with teammates Deebo Samuel and George Kittle.
“I don’t see him all the time, because I’m in camp mode. So being able to have a conversation with him is fantastic, to see how he’s doing and if everything is going the way that he wants it to go,” Kittle said. “Just the chance to see him is always fantastic. I love the smile on his face.”
Even Aiyuk’s choice of attire caught his teammates’ attention as he wore a red 49ers shirt.
“Wearing red for the first time, too,” Kittle said. “It’s crazy.”
Aiyuk was scheduled to play on the fifth-year option worth about $14.1 million this season and wants San Francisco to make him the latest receiver to sign a long-term deal.
Ten receivers before Aiyuk had already secured contracts worth at least $70 million this offseason, with Justin Jefferson’s four-year, $140 million extension with Minnesota setting the top of the market.
