Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Thursday, August 29th, 2024
Kyle Shanahan, John Lynch talk Aiyuk, Williams, 49ers’ 53-man roster
“San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch spoke to reporters on Wednesday, the day after the team reduced its roster to 53 players. Here’s everything they shared.”
49ers add exciting receiver depth with Marshall Jr. addition
“Marshall, a speedster out of LSU, ran a 4.40 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2021 and was selected by Carolina with the No. 59 pick in the draft that year.
Marshall, in three seasons with the Panthers, started 16 of his 36 career games and recorded 64 combined receptions for 767 receiving yards (12.0 Y/R average) and one touchdown.”
“The players lost to waivers were Samuel Womack, who went to the Indianapolis Colts, Cody Schrader, who went to the Los Angeles Rams, and Jarrett Kingston, who went to the Carolina Panthers.
The Kingston cut was perhaps the most surprising of any move besides placing Elijah Mitchell on season-ending injured reserve. The 49ers could have stolen another roster spot by putting Jon Feliciano on injured reserve and designating him for return, or done the swap with Patrick Taylor Jr.
But, they moved on, and signed 15 players to their practice squad. Former third-round picks Danny Gray and Cam Latu were not amongst them.”
Aiyuk-49ers saga hits inflection point as ‘hold-in’ persists
“Up to this point, everybody knew and understood that Aiyuk was not likely to practice until his contract situation got resolved. Shanahan even played along, saying that Aiyuk had “soreness.”
But the entire tone changed Wednesday, now that the 49ers have their 53-man roster set and are beginning preparations to face the New York Jets in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL regular season.
Before practice on Wednesday, both Lynch and Shanahan said they would not address the hypothetical situation of discipline if Aiyuk did not show up to practice later in the day.
Aiyuk did not show up, so it is no longer a hypothetical situation.”
49ers Notes: Brandon Aiyuk refuses to practice, defies SF brass
“When asked if he would discipline the fifth-year wide receiver if he did not participate, Shanahan did not comment directly.
“I’ll deal with that, if that happens,” Shanahan said.
John Lynch said roughly the same thing about disciplining him.
“We’ll see,” Lynch said. “I know he’s here today. And that’s the expectation… At some point you gotta play.”
After saying that he and Trent Williams have had “good communication,” Lynch was asked whether he and Aiyuk and his reps have “good communication.” He said there’s been “communication,” declining to characterize it as good.”
A dramatic 49ers-Brandon Aiyuk showdown and the signs of a break-up in progress (paywall)
“That’s a bitter path, but maybe the most likely one at this point. An even more bitter question for 49ers fans: Presuming that the 49ers and Aiyuk are likely not much more than $10 million guaranteed dollars apart, are the 49ers just being cheap and short-sighted right now? Jed York has obviously committed a huge amount of money to this roster, but that’s what happens when you’re trying to win a Super Bowl. Are the 49ers not willing to commit what it takes to give themselves their best shot? Are they more interested in winning contract negotiations than winning playoff games?”
Areas of concern for the 49ers? Roster is light at offensive tackle, running back (paywall)
“The 49ers’ only healthy runners are Jordan Mason and Patrick Taylor Jr. They currently don’t have a running back on the practice squad, although they still have one opening there.”
49ers need running back reinforcements in wake of roster moves, injuries (paywall)
“That’s just a good football player we were very fortunate to get in the building,” Lynch said. “I don’t know what went on in Carolina. I know that I got on the phone with Terrace, along with (wide receivers coach) Leonard Hankerson and Kyle and just told him about the way we do things and what we thought of him coming out of college. And that this could be a great landing spot for him.”
The 49ers’ 15 other practice-squad additions spent training camp with the team: quarterback Tanner Mordecai, cornerback Chase Lucas, safety Tracy Walker, tight ends Brayden Willis and Mason Pline, safeties Tracy Walker and Jaylen Mahoney, wide receivers Trent Taylor and Tay Martin, defensive linemen T.Y. McGill, Evan Anderson, Alex Barrett and Jonathan Garvin and offensive linemen Drake Nugent, Sebastian Gutierrez and Isaac Alarcon.”
49ers’ 53-man roster far from final with multiple moves on offense yet to come (paywall)
“Never in the history of football,” Shanahan said, “has the ‘final’ 53 been the final 53.”