The San Francisco 49ers visit the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday night at Allegiant Stadium to finish their three-game preseason slate.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters he’s expecting his starters to play in the exhibition finale. One of the starters who won’t be suiting up is wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. He is still negotiating a long-term contract extension with the 49ers and isn’t likely to take the field until he has a new deal.
However, Aiyuk is with the 49ers in Las Vegas according to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo.
There wasn’t any new reporting on the negotiations. Garafolo said the two sides are still trying to hammer out a deal and that the chasm between them isn’t wide.
This marks the second consecutive preseason game Aiyuk has attended. He was in the team’s suite at Levi’s Stadium for their Week 2 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Now he’s traveled with the team to Las Vegas.
It’s hard to see that and not assume things are still amicable and trending toward Aiyuk staying with the 49ers.
On the other hand, it doesn’t really mean anything if the two sides are at an impasse in the negotiations. It may not be a sign that Aiyuk is leaning toward agreeing to the 49ers’ offer. This may just be a staring contest where Aiyuk is going through the motions and doing all the right things in hopes of getting the 49ers to blink.
Unfortunately, the fact remains that Aiyuk and San Francisco are still at a tipping point. He’ll either be extended or traded. And there’s no substantial reporting that indicates one or the other is more likely with just over two weeks to go until the team kicks off its regular season.
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