Brandon Aiyuk contract saga hits a new low, and may never end

The San Francisco 49ers are set to begin training camp on July 23 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. As the days go by, it's beginning to seem unlikely that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will be in attendance.

Aiyuk has already accrued a $100,000 fine for skipping the team's mandatory minicamp last month. He would face a $50,000 daily fine for unexcused absences from training camp. While team's used to be expected to waive those fines as a sign of good faith, the 2020 collective bargaining agreement prohibited teams from waiving fines.

With training camp just one week away, Aiyuk is running out of time and seems ready to take drastic measures.

Brandon Aiyuk's contract disputes with 49ers seem to have no end

Aiyuk officially requested a trade from the team, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. He reportedly asked for the trade because the 49ers have not engaged in contract negotiations since May, Garafolo reported.

Aiyuk's agent, Ryan Williams, disputed a report in April that Aiyuk had requested a trade. This time, Williams has remained silent.

A contract extension seemed imminent after Aiyuk reportedly had a meeting with the team in late-June. At the time, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero expected that Aiyuk would sign a contract extension with the team before the start of training camp.

Now, it appears the contract dispute could drag out beyond the beginning of training camp. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, other teams that have spoken to San Francisco about acquiring Aiyuk have been told that the 49ers have no intention of trading the disgruntled wide receiver.

Since the offseason began, Aiyuk's lingering contract negotiations have taken fans across the league on a rollercoaster ride, with the most likely outcome changing nearly every week. The Niners were expected to trade Aiyuk before the 2024 NFL Draft. Then, after San Francisco selected a wide receiver in the first round, Aiyuk was expected to be traded after the draft. At one point, 49ers general manager John Lynch admit that trade conversations "absolutely" happened throughout the offseason, but claimed the team was "past that" stage. With the Niners no longer entertaining trade offers, they were expected to sign a long-term extension with the wideout.

Aiyuk has reportedly hoped for a contract similar to the deal signed by Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, which carries a $28 million average annual value. Ed McCaffrey, father of 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, recently seemed to confirm prior reports that the 49ers hadn't budged from their initial offer of $26 million per year.

Niners legend Jerry Rice also recently offered his advice, suggesting Aiyuk should play out the season and enter the free agency market next offseason. There are a lot of risks associated with that strategy, however, and another stellar season could result in San Francisco using the franchise tag designation on Aiyuk next offseason.

Aiyuk's future is a mystery to everyone, and this likely isn't the last time we'll receive an update before he finally inks a long-term deal.