SANTA CLARA, Calif. — For the first time in two weeks, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was out on the practice field while the team trained, watching part of Wednesday’s session on the sideline. At one point, general manager John Lynch greeted him with a handshake and a quick pat on the back.
Aiyuk had been spotted just once watching practice from the weight room since July 31, but he hadn’t been out in the open on the field since his much publicized handshake with Lynch and hug with coach Kyle Shanahan on that day.
A river of rumors has flowed since then, of course. Shanahan has acknowledged that trading Aiyuk has been on the table. He’s also simultaneously expressed hope the 49ers and Aiyuk would finally reach agreement on a new contract as the wide receiver’s hold-in has continued.
Brandon Aiyuk timeline (in case you’ve been too exhausted to follow the rumor mill)…
July 31: Handshake/hug day; Aiyuk on practice field
Aug. 5: Verified reports that SF was open to a trade (Shanahan later indicated they’d been open to a trade for at least a few days before…— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) August 14, 2024
While it’s been hard to keep track of the flurry, and while the relevance of various details will undoubtedly be debated until the situation is resolved, this much can be verified: Aiyuk remains a 49er and he was wearing red for the first time this camp at practice following several days away from the public eye.
Aiyuk has been in 49ers’ position group meetings throughout training camp, so his fellow receivers have seen him regularly. But because tight end George Kittle is in a different meeting room, his interactions have been less frequent. Kittle said he recently ran into Aiyuk in the valet line of a restaurant and that he enjoyed seeing the receiver again on the sideline.
“The chance to see him is always fantastic,” Kittle said. “I love the smile on his face.”
It certainly seemed the 49ers offense could’ve used Aiyuk and star left tackle Trent Williams — whose holdout continues — during the first portion of Wednesday’s practice, a sloppy ordeal that featured multiple low snaps, two fumbles and a number of inaccurate throws from the team’s quarterbacks.
But the 49ers’ attack settled down after a special teams period focused on gunner work in punt coverage. Quarterback Brock Purdy threw a touchdown in red-zone work to Kittle on a fade pass. The tight end boxed out safety Ji’Ayir Brown for the reception. The offensive line, led by right tackle Colton McKivitz, celebrated the score vociferously. Purdy also found rookie running back Cody Schrader for a score over the middle.
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It was a far cry from the team’s scripted work at the beginning of practice, which saw linebacker De’vondre Campbell Sr. nearly pick off a Purdy pass after he blanketed receiver Tay Martin on a sprint to the sideline. Purdy also threw dangerously high on an outlet pass to running back Jordan Mason.
True disaster struck on a trick play, when receiver Jauan Jennings tried to pitch the ball back to Purdy. Defensive lineman Javon Hargrave and Nick Bosa had already broached the backfield, causing Jennings’ toss to sail over the QB’s head. If that had happened in a game, the play would’ve made many blooper reels.
Therein lies the good news for the 49ers: It’s Aug. 14, so they still have nearly a month before the opener rolls around. And ugly offensive play definitely has not been the norm this training camp. But any stretch of struggles — and that includes the first period of Wednesday’s session — is another reminder that two of the offense’s best players currently aren’t practicing.
“Trent Williams is Trent Williams,” Kittle said. “He’s the greatest player that I’ve ever played against — him and Aaron Donald. … He just has a presence to him. Not having him in the locker room, it’s weird. But I love Trent and he’s doing what he thinks is best for him, so it’s OK.
“And I think Jaylon Moore has done a good job of playing left tackle for us. And I appreciate getting extra reps. One thing about Trent Williams is, I don’t need to practice with Trent that often because he’s so good. It’s more like, ‘Hey George, get out of the way so I can block this guy by myself.’ And it’s like, ‘Hey man, you make my job easier.’ So I think getting the extra reps with Jaylon is really beneficial. If I can get really good working with him, Trent will fit in seamlessly. I’m not worried about it.”
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Odds & ends
• Running backs Christian McCaffrey (calf strain), Elijah Mitchell (hamstring), Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) and Patrick Taylor Jr., punter Mitch Wishnowsky (knee soreness), receiver Ricky Pearsall (shoulder), cornerbacks Ambry Thomas (broken forearm) and Isaac Yiadom (ankle), offensive linemen Jon Feliciano (knee), Spencer Burford (broken hand) and Ben Bartch and defensive tackle Kalia Davis (knee) all missed practice.
Receiver Danny Gray was out of his blue non-contact jersey. He battled second-year cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. on a red-zone rep. Luter got the best of Gray on the play, knocking away QB Brandon Allen’s pass.
• To replace Davis, who’s undergoing knee surgery and is expected to miss about half the season, the 49ers signed 34-year-old defensive tackle Nick Williams. Davis played well in the preseason opener, notching two tackles for loss including a sack. Williams played under 49ers assistant head coach Brandon Staley at two previous spots, with the Chicago Bears in 2018 and 2019 and with the Los Angeles Chargers last season.
New 49ers DT Nick Williams works with Kris Kocurek at his first practice with SF pic.twitter.com/tyUj6zPz4k
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) August 14, 2024
To make room for Williams, the 49ers released linebacker Ezekiel Turner, who was primarily competing for a special teams role. Even with Dre Greenlaw still rehabbing from his Achilles injury, the 49ers have a crowded linebacker room. The 31-year-old Campbell has shown some promising speed in coverage and recent surges at practice from second-year players Dee Winters and Jalen Graham — who’ve both seen some first-team reps — may be shifting the 49ers’ outlook at the position.
The team initially signed Turner, previously a special teams ace for the Arizona Cardinals who blocked a Wishnowsky punt in 2020, this past offseason.
• Safety Talanoa Hufanga worked on the side at the start of the session. He then watched from the defensive sideline. Hufanga is slated to meet with doctors Thursday. Shanahan said earlier this week that, if the appointment goes well, Hufanga should be able to return to practice in the near future.
(Photo: Ryan Kang / Getty Images)
