The 49ers were scheduled to report for training camp Tuesday in Santa Clara.
One question was answered early in the day with the report that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk would show up on time while he remains embroiled in a contract dispute.
General manager John Lynch said he had not yet seen Aiyuk in the building but anticipated the Second-Team All-Pro to show up with all of his teammates.
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“We expect all our players to report and be here,” Lynch said.
Aiyuk was a no-show for the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp in June, which made his appearance on the first day of training camp anything but guaranteed. Of the possibility that Aiyuk could be a “hold in” — a player who reports to camp but does not practice, Lynch said, “We expect all our players to practice.”
Aiyuk, 26, is seeking a multiyear extension to replace his existing one-year contract that is set to pay him $14.124 million for the upcoming season. He is likely seeking a new deal for at least twice that amount.
Currently, there are 21 receivers in the NFL whose contracts have an average annual salary of $20 million or higher. Justin Jefferson is the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver at $35 million per season. A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Tyreek Hill make $30 million or more annually.
San Francisco 49ers
Aiyuk said recently on “The Pivot” podcast that he believed a deal would be completed earlier in the offseason. Lynch said it was a priority to move quickly after last season.
“We’ve had great communication,” Lynch said. “We started this really early. We made it a priority to try to get it done. We’ve had excellent communication throughout. Really don’t want to characterize (it), we haven’t been able to (complete the contract). And that’s a shame. Brandon is a big part of our team, and we expect that he will be this year.”
Aiyuk recently requested a trade under the belief there are multiple teams willing to acquire him from the 49ers and meet his contract demands. The 49ers would likely not receive any compensation from a trade until the 2025 NFL Draft, which makes it unlikely the team would be willing to part ways with their top wide receiver.
Lynch made it clear he did not anticipate trading Aiyuk. But he did not completely rule it out, either.
“No absolutes,” Lynch said. “We fully intend on Brandon being a Niner moving forward. We’re always open to listen to things but we expect Brandon to an integral part of our team like he has been. And (we’re) excited about that.”
The 49ers have not caved to recent trade requests. Kicker Robbie Gould and receiver Deebo Samuel ended up signing contract extensions, while running back Raheem Mostert remained with the 49ers on a re-worked contract that included the opportunity to double his salary through incentives.
If the 49ers are unable to work out a long-term extension with Aiyuk, they could force him to play under his current contract. The sides could also reach an agreement on a re-worked one-year deal.
“Everything is a possibility,” Lynch said. “Not going to get into negotiations. We’re open to anything.”
Aiyuk is under contract this season as the 49ers picked up his fifth-year option a year ago. He led the team in receptions and receiving yards the past two seasons. He had 78 catches for 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022. He followed it up with 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns for a spot as a second-team AP All-Pro.