The Brandon Aiyuk saga has taken several turns this week, none of which appear to have had much impact on Kyle Shanahan's opinion on the situation.
In the early part of the week it appeared the San Francisco 49ers were destined to trade the All-Pro wide receiver, having given him permission to speak to potential trade partners and reportedly agreeing trade frameworks with the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots. The 49ers had also been reported as engaging in negotiations with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But with those talks going nowhere and Aiyuk seemingly unwilling to play in either Cleveland or New England, it was reported the 49ers had r e-opened contract negotiations with Aiyuk, Shanahan and other team officials said to have had a sit-down meeting with San Francisco's leading receiver.
Those developments would appear to point to the Niners being closer towards finally getting a long-term deal done. However, if Shanahan is feeling any more optimistic, he wasn't expressing it after the 49ers' preseason opener at the Tennessee Titans.
"I've met with Brandon a bunch here since we started out camp," Shanahan said when asked if reports of a meeting were accurate. "I'm not going to get into any personal things between us.
"I feel the same as when I talked to you guys last week. I am hopeful and I do think it [a long-term deal] can. Like I said last week, everything's open, but hopefully it does [get done]."
Alongside the Aiyuk saga, the 49ers are also dealing with a holdout from All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams as he seeks guaranteed money on his deal. The final three years of his contract do not have any guaranteed money attached to them.
Asked if he was any more hopeful on that situation, Shanahan replied: "No. I am hopeful about it, I feel good about that. I feel optimistic about it, but nothing's changed there."
Shanahan has never been one to overshare when it comes to the business side of the NFL, and it would not be wise for him to start disclosing details of the negotiation in public, especially when Aiyuk is seemingly displeased with recent reports of a renewed effort to agree a contract making their way into the media .
49ers fans will hope his answers on Aiyuk on Saturday were simply a case of him keeping his cards very close to his chest and that deals are around the corner for both Aiyuk and Williams.
Regardless of what Shanahan actually knows about the state of both negotiations, his demeanor when asked about contract issues compared to his responses to questions about the game perfectly illustrated his readiness to move from talking about the two storylines that have combined to cast a huge cloud over the 49ers' preparation for another Super Bowl run.
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