As the 49ers’ preseason days wind down, they’re still without Brandon Aiyuk on the field. But despite the anxiety and inconvenience of the situation, George Kittle believes the 49ers won’t miss him on the field. At least not until they play a real game without him.
Both Kittle and cornerback Charvarius Ward were asked about the ongoing saga between Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers. When asked if the team misses him out there, both men responded stoically, one in much more detail than the other. Ward was asked about the topic first and paused for a split second to think about what he wanted to say.
For the first time in the three years I’ve covered the Pro Bowl cornerback, he had to hold back his reaction.
“How much do we miss him? The season hasn’t started yet, so we don’t know how much we’re going to miss him. I don’t want to say anything crazy, but they’ll figure something out at some point,” Ward said uneasily of Aiyuk on Wednesday.
“Eventually they’ll figure it out. They’ll figure it out.” Charvarius Ward on Brandon Aiyuk’s situation pic.twitter.com/2X5orYF6uC
— Tracy Sandler (@TracyFGSN) August 14, 2024
Kittle, who watched his teammate being dismissed as a guinea pig with the question, had a more detailed answer. The eight-year tight end actually had a story to tell that had a little more to do with the day’s events.
Of course, we’re referring to Brandon Aiyuk’s reappearance at the 49ers’ practice on Wednesday, the first time a media member has seen him at football practice since July 31. BA witnessed the entire ball-moving portion of the 49ers’ practice and was seen on the opposite sideline watching the action. This comes after reports emerged that both Aiyuk and the 49ers are close to a long-term agreement to stay together in San Francisco.
But from the players’ perspective, they’re just happy to see their buddy out there, especially Kittle. The TE went to Aiyuk during special teams drills for a quick chat, nothing more, nothing less.
And while Kittle gets it (all the speculation and drama), the All-Pro is just focused on getting it done with the guys who are on the field right now. But he won’t lie: It’s always nice to see BA
“I love Aiyuk, I played with him for four years. I love his attitude every day. You asked (Charvarius Ward) Mooney, ‘Do you miss him?’ And I think Mooney answered the question perfectly. We haven’t played a game without him. So on offense, we don’t know that you’re constantly trading players around,” Kittle explained. “We had (49ers left tackle) Trent Williams injured in one game and we still won. So it’s like, ‘Hey, you miss him, but you can live with it.’ So at the end of the day, we don’t know, but I know Aiyuk is a fantastic football player and the energy he brings every day energizes us.”
“The energy he brings every day lifts us up.” #49ers TE George Kittle on today’s conversation with Brandon Aiyuk. #FTTB pic.twitter.com/XpwEkRmiOa
– Matt Lively (@mattblively) 14 August 2024
Kittle then told a story about the two men’s recent reunion.
The tight end was out for dinner at a fancy restaurant with his wife Claire on an off day. As he was coming out of the valet, his teammate pulled up. Surprised by the coincidence, Kittle walked up to Aiyuk and started a conversation. Again, nothing major, just friendly teammate-to-teammate conversation as his contract history ebbs and flows as the river of uncertainty ebbs and flows.
“We went out to dinner on one of our nights off, as we were leaving the valet, he pulled into the valet,” Kittle recalls. “When I saw him, I was like, ‘Hey, I haven’t seen you in a couple days, man, how are you?’ So it’s always awesome just to see him, I love the smile on his face.”
There’s a reason Kittle is called “The People’s Tight End.” He is loved by the masses, especially in the 49ers locker room. Moreover, Kittle understands what Aiyuk is going through. He understands the agony of waiting to sign the contract and wants to make as much money as possible while being in a good football situation.
Even though the dispute over Aiyuk’s contract has been going on for much longer than Kittle’s, not many outsiders will understand that there is more to the discussion than just football.
“Just being able to talk to him is amazing. Just seeing how he’s doing and if everything is going the way he wants it to,” Kittle said of Aiyuk.
San Francisco 49ers 2024 schedule:
Preseason
- Sunday, August 18 vs. New Orleans Saints – 5:00 p.m. PDT
- Friday, August 23 @ Las Vegas Raiders – 7:00 p.m. PDT
Regular season
- Monday, September 9 vs. New York Jets – 5:15 p.m. PDT
- Sunday, September 15 @Minnesota Vikings – 10am PDT
- Sunday, September 22 – @ Los Angeles Rams – 1:25 p.m. PDT
- Sunday, September 29 vs. New England Patriots – 1:05 p.m. PDT
- Sunday, October 6 vs. Arizona Cardinals – 1:05 p.m. PDT
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