Will Brandon Aiyuk Hold Out of Training Camp?

It seems the 49ers are now prepared in case Aiyuk decides to hold out.

Jul 27, 2023; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) walks on / Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

Don't expect the 49ers to extend Brandon Aiyuk's contract any time soon.

Last year, the 49ers didn't agree to a contract extension with Nick Bosa until Sept. 6 -- four days before the regular season opener. He held out all of OTAs, minicamp and training camp. And Aiyuk could do the same thing this year.

The 49ers could have extended Aiyuk's contract by now if they wanted to. They even could have extended last year. The Eagles just extended both of their starting wide receivers' contracts, and the Lions extended Amon-Ra St. Brown.

But the 49ers do business differently. They almost always wait as long as possible before finalizing an extension. So instead of making Aiyuk happy and getting the deal done before the draft, the 49ers took a wide receiver in Round 1.

It seems the 49ers are now prepared in case Aiyuk decides to hold out. And he probably will hold out until he signs an extension because that's what Bosa did. Which means the 49ers will have the entire offseason to see what the offense looks like without Aiyuk. How essential is he really? Can rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall run his routes and catch his targets?

Pearsall could have an entire offseason to practice with the starters if Aiyuk holds out. If Pearsall impresses, Aiyuk could lose leverage in contract negotiations. If Pearsall struggles, Aiyuk could gain leverage.

It will be interesting to see if Aiyuk shows up to the facility and attends meetings as an act of leadership and good will. But I highly doubt he'll step on the practice field in the next few months.