Plus, some injury updates on George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Dre Greenlaw
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch spoke at the Owner’s meetings in Orlando, Florida, Monday morning and provided a couple of updates on some of the hot topics surrounding the team.
Tight end George Kittle and cornerback Charvarius Ward had core muscle surgery this offseason. According to Lynch, they will be fully cleared in time for training camp, so there is nothing to worry about there.
Lynch said the likelihood of linebacker Dre Greenlaw starting the season on the PUP list is high, although Greenlaw’s goal is to be ready for Week 1. Dre is coming off a torn Achilles he suffered in the Super Bowl. Former Green Bay Packers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell is penciled in as Greenlaw’s replacement until he’s 100 percent healthy.
Lynch spoke about the accounting error that cost the 49ers a 2025 draft pick. He said that was a result of overpaying a player $75,000 during the COVID season. The 49ers attempted to recoup the money before reporting the error to the league: “I have a difference of opinion on the severity of the discipline. We take accountability for what happened, and I think they’d be fine.”
Lastly, Brandon Aiyuk. Lynch shot down any trade talks, saying there have been no discussions about moving the team’s best wideout, and reports aren’t accurate. Aiyuk had reportedly been linked to the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Lynch also said the 49ers would be OK with Aiyuk playing on his fifth-year option if the team can’t reach an agreement on an extension.
I’m sure they would. Aiyuk’s fifth-year option makes him the 21st-highest-paid receiver in the NFL. You could have the lowest opinion of Aiyuk and still wouldn’t think of him outside of the top 20 receivers in the NFL. I will not be surprised if we see a holdout situation that goes into training camp, similar to Nick Bosa, if the two sides cannot come to an agreement.
But, if I were Aiyuk, I’d want to be compensated for my talent level. That talent level is closer to five than 25.
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