SANTA CLARA — As trade rumors engulf Brandon Aiyuk’s idling status with the 49ers, coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday that “nothing has changed.”
Defensive end Nick Bosa, a year removed from his own contract battle with the 49ers, called such negotiations “brutal,” but then expressed confidence “it will get done” between the 49ers and Aiyuk.
The Pittsburgh Steelers re-emerged as a potential trade partner after talks stalled Monday night, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported after the 49ers’ 1 1/2-hour practice.
Asked if he expects an imminent resolution, Shanahan said: “No. You always want it to be badly. This stuff takes time. Every day I hope it gets resolved. Hopefully it will get resolved sooner than later.”
Aiyuk, as he’s done throughout this camp, briefly watched practice from afar. General manager John Lynch observed all of it on the field and walked off afterward with coach Kyle Shanahan, who then headed for his regularly scheduled press conference.
“I’m not going to get into specifics with offers or trades,” Shanahan added. “A lot (of news) was out yesterday but the situation we’re in with Brandon, nothing has changed.”
The 49ers had agreed to trade proposals by two teams, the Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots, as reported Monday night by NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. Aiyuk presumably gets to have a say on whether any deal progresses, conceivably with the lucrative contract extension he’s anxiously sought from the 49ers for six months — and counting.
The 49ers have granted Aiyuk permission to speak with other teams, and although Shanahan said he spoke with him earlier in camp about his plight, any business talk runs between Lynch and Aiyuk’s agent.
Could Aiyuk still secure a long-term deal with the 49ers?
“There’s a scenario with everything, so I wouldn’t rule anything out,” Shanahan added. “Brandon is a great player, so it’s real hard when you lose a great player. We have to look into everything and understand the situation we’re in. It takes time.”
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Bosa said he had “a few moments” last summer whether he might get dealt or not land a contract extension amid his training camp holdout, which ultimately led to a record contract just days before the season opener.
“As it got closer and closer (to the opener), it gets pretty dicey,” Bosa said. “But I definitely didn’t want to be traded. It’s a good place to be. I’m very thankful and grateful to be paid and here, because there are not many organizations as good as this one.”
Aiyuk is slated to play this season on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, with a $14.1 million salary that is at least half the market rate for a No. 1-caliber receiver. The 49ers offense has flourished in recent years and Aiyuk’s back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons illustrate what a reliable target he’s become for third-year quarterback Brock Purdy.
When Bosa was asked if he won his contract staredown with the 49ers, he replied: “I’m not going to ccomment but they are tough.”
McCAFFREY DINGED UP?
Running back Christian McCaffrey, the NFL’s reigning rushing champion, has a calf strain that will keep him out of the preseason and out of practice the next few weeks.
Hamstring strains have sidelined Elijah Mitchell and Isaac Guerendo, so to counter the backfield’s sudden attrition, Matt Breida re-signed and practiced Tuesday. Breida played for the 49ers from 2017-19.
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