(1) If Aiyuk doesn’t show up at the 49ers facility ready to participate, the team can attach a DNR (Did Not Report) designation on him for as long as he is absent. (2) That DNR tag means not only would they not have to pay him, they could FINE him in the neighborhood of $50K per day for each day he fails to report. That fine would be stripped out of any future contract Aiyuk might sign, and the money then handed over to SF. (3) If Aiyuk is tagged with a DNR, he no longer counts toward a roster spot, and the team can and will carry a full 53-man roster (or 90-man before the cut), even though Aiyuk is still under contract. The bottom line is: The only party who can dislodge the 49ers from their complete control of Aiyuk, is Aiyuk himself—and only by reporting for training camp. As long as he stays away, the 49ers can withhold all pay, bank up $50K per day against him in fines (payable when he signs somewhere else), enjoy a full roster without him, and block him from playing football anywhere else. If Aiyuk does not report, the 49ers could simply sit on him until 2029, not pay him a dime, functionally ending his NFL career. People who think Aiyuk can just hide and wait until September are woefully mistaken. And as long as Aiyuk stays away, the Commanders will be sitting at the lighthouse window, staring out to sea, waiting for the next three years for a ship that may never sail.
I get the sense Aiyuk is done playing ball.
ReplyDeleteAny athlete that walks away from $27mil, is an indicator that they have lost interest in ever playing again.
ReplyDeleteThe most recent pictures of him look like a guy who's out of shape. Do you think he shows up to camp? If he does will he be on the sideline like Jimmy G?😂
DeleteJustice.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for posting this piece. I had no idea.
DeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteAt this point, why would any team even want him? I highly doubt he plays another down of football.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if CTE is the cause of this.
DeleteThe 49ers are handling it the right way because they can't allow this type of precedent to be set by the player. In fact, I wonder if a new rule could be on the horizon league wide to abolish this type of conduct.
ReplyDeleteThe polar opposite is the Browns, that accede to all player demands and as a result set awful precedents that make life harder for everyone else.
DeleteJust heard Aiyuk's agent just dropped him.
ReplyDeleteLowest % of Balls Thrown to Middle of Field [Since 2021]:
ReplyDelete1. Jalen Hurts, ‘21 (9.3%)*
2. Michael Penix, ‘25 (10.9%)
3. Jalen Hurts, ‘23 (11.7%)**
4. Jalen Hurts, ‘24 (13.3%)***
* OC Shane Steichen
** OC Brian Johnson
*** OC Kellen Moore
75 of Makai Lemon's 108 targets last season were to the center of the field.
It's pretty cool to see how a lot of the more objective 49ers content creators are coming round on the 49ers draft picks after they do a deep dive on them. I get the instant reaction to a lot of the picks not being overly favourable based on where guys were projected to go, but I liked guys like Stribling and Black a lot leading up to the draft. Now that people are starting to do deeper dives its cool getting to see even more tape and better breakdowns on these guys than what was available before the draft, and I'm liking them even more. You can see that the good is actually consistent. Definitely areas to work on for all these guys, but there's talent to work with there.
ReplyDeleteThe onus is now on the coaching staff to make sure their players succeed.
DeleteYep, and on the players themselves to put the work in.
DeleteAgree. Also importa note is that the 49ers position coaches are instrumental to the success of the young players. Players like Height, Black, and Stribling including last year's and this year entire draft class will need to rely on their position coaches to excel. Talent is essential. But, great coaching refines and reinforces talent, imho.
ReplyDeletePer D. Lombardi Aiyuk is meeting with the 49ers today. He has said his first choice is to still play for the 49ers but he is fine if they can trade him
ReplyDeleteOops. The Lombardi youtube video I was quoting came up in my new feeds. After watching the whole video I realized that it was a year old. Mea culpa
DeleteI almost made the same mistake, Coach.
ReplyDeleteI like the way the Niners draft; it’s almost always against the consensus, almost rebel like. I think Stribling is going to be a gem, and I like that pick more with each passing day.
ReplyDeleteKS says why we drafted where we did: A good listen
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/reel/3013335592193025