49ers HC on Brandon Aiyuk amid Rumors: 'Oh So Much Has Changed. No, I'm Just Joking'

The Brandon Aiyuk saga has gone on so long that even San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is making jokes about it.

When asked about the situation during an appearance on KNBR's Tolbert & Copes show (starts at :15 mark), Shanahan said "Oh so much has changed—no, I'm just joking."

Shanahan went on to say there are "no new updates" about Aiyuk's status at this point.

While there has yet to be any sort of agreement between Aiyuk and the 49ers about an extension, the once-icy tension from the two sides could be thawing.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported there has been "movement on a deal" between Aiyuk and the 49ers after they had a meeting on Monday, with "minor details" still needing to be worked out and approval from ownership.

Per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo (h/t Ali Thanawalla of NBC Sports Bay Area), the 49ers have "pretty much agreed" to terms over the first three years on an extension, but Aiyuk's camp wants "an adjustment" for the fourth and final year that would be non-guaranteed.

Garafolo also called an agreement "really close to being done," which is a key reason why the 49ers have yet to move forward with a trade sending Aiyuk to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Credit to Shanahan for trying to make a joke about the situation that everyone in the Bay Area has been waiting to get resolved since the Super Bowl ended. He's had to answer questions about it seemingly every day since training camp opened.

Shanahan has sounded more optimistic about Trent Williams' holdout potentially ending soon. He told KNBR (h/t Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group) they've been "negotiating hard" and "hopefully" a deal is getting close.

The 49ers are running out of time to get things worked out with Aiyuk and Williams, as there are just two weeks remaining before the start of the regular season.

In an offense loaded with elite skill-position players, Aiyuk has emerged as an essential playmaker for the 49ers. He has surpassed the 1,000-yard mark over the past two seasons, including a career-high 1,342 yards in 2023.