The San Francisco 49ers visit the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday night at Allegiant Stadium to conclude their three-game preseason schedule.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters he expects his starters to play in the exhibition finale. One of the starters who will not play is wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. He is still negotiating a long-term contract extension with the 49ers and likely won’t be on the field until he has a new deal.
However, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Media, Aiyuk is with the 49ers in Las Vegas.
There were no new reports on the negotiations. Garafolo said the two sides were still trying to reach an agreement and the gap between them was not too wide.
This is the second consecutive preseason game Aiyuk has participated in. He was in the team’s suite at Levi’s Stadium for their Week 2 game against the New Orleans Saints. Now he has traveled with the team to Las Vegas.
It’s hard to look at this and not assume that things are still amicable and there’s a tendency for Aiyuk to stay with the 49ers.
On the other hand, it doesn’t really mean anything if the two sides are at an impasse in negotiations. It may not be a sign that Aiyuk is inclined to agree to the 49ers’ offer. Maybe it’s just a staring contest, with Aiyuk doing everything right in hopes of getting the 49ers to back down.
Unfortunately, the fact remains that Aiyuk and San Francisco are still at a crossroads. Either he’ll be extended or he’ll be traded. And there are no solid reports suggesting one or the other is more likely, as there are just over two weeks until the team begins its regular season.
