Wide receiver Brandon AIyuk entered a football stadium today – with his current teammates at the 49ers.
Unlike the 49ers’ season opener in Tennessee two weeks ago, Aiyuk made this trip to attend the season finale against the host Las Vegas Raiders.
Aiyuk will not play in what could have been his first game in a 49ers uniform since they lost the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs on February 11 on the same field at Allegiant Stadium.
As Tracy Sandler of the Fangirl Sports Network first reported, Aiyuk entered the locker room with fellow wide receiver Deebo Samuel when the 49ers arrived about two hours before kickoff.
According to Vern Glenn of CBS-5 San Francisco, Aiyuk kept his all-black casual attire before the game and mingled with Raiders coach Antonio Pierce on the sidelines.
Aiyuk also chatted with 49ers team chaplain Earl Smith, then joined Samuel in greeting Raiders receiver Devante Adams and finally took selfies with fans who had sideline passes, according to Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area.
After requesting a transfer a month ago, Aiyuk did not participate in any of the 19 previous training camp practices as he was “resting” due to his contract dispute. He was not seen practicing this week after being an interested observer on the sidelines at three practices the previous week.
Neither general manager John Lynch nor coach Kyle Shanahan provided any updates on Aiyuk’s status during their respective KNBR 680-AM radio segments on Wednesday and Thursday.
Although the 49ers have given Aiyuk and his representatives permission to seek a trade, potential deals with the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns have been rejected, while a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers is reportedly awaiting Aiyuk’s approval if talks with the 49ers end. His contract with the 49ers still stands at $14.1 million, half of what he would likely demand in a new deal.
As for the 49ers’ other contract matter, left tackle Trent Williams has still not reported for the game a month after training camp began. His absence cost him another $1.1 million on Friday — the equivalent of a check for one regular-season game — bringing his total to $4.15 million in penalties that cannot be reduced or waived under the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement for a contract signed as a free agent.
Also notably absent from all preseason games was wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, the 49ers’ first-round draft pick. A torn hamstring delayed his entry into training camp, and after a week of training, his shoulder injury worsened, which lasted at least until the spring training sessions after the draft.
San Francisco Chronicle columnist Mike Silver told KNBR-680 AM that Pearsall “has a shoulder problem that’s recurring now and that’s a concern in the long run. They knew about it before they signed him and hoped it wouldn’t happen.” Pearsall has been practicing on the sidelines for the past few weeks and this week he showed impairment while casually throwing a football and playing catch.
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