Latest Brandon Aiyuk update hints things are going from bad to worse

As of Wednesday, the Brandon Aiyuk saga was coming to an interesting crossroads.

To this point, Aiyuk had not been practicing with the team. Many had believed it was due to his desire for a new contract, of course. But, there was also news that Aiyuk had been reportedly dealing with back and neck injuries. As of Wednesday, though, Aiyuk had been cleared to practice.

Going forward, there were no other excuses for Aiyuk to be out on the practice field; well, other than the fact that he does, still, want a new contract. Medically-speaking, though, Aiyuk had no excuse to not be on the field with his teammates.

Shanahan told the media, on Wednesday, that he had hoped to see the star receiver take the practice field.

“I hope that he’s out there practicing today. We’ll just have him go through individual things like that. Start having him run routes without quarterbacks. Probably won’t let him go against other guys.”

Then, Shanahan was asked about the possibility of the team fining Aiyuk if he doesn't show up. After being medically cleared, Aiyuk could be fined up to $45,000 per day of missed team activities.

“I’ll deal with that when it happens. If it happens," Shanahan told the media.

Well, Thursday's practice came.

Aiyuk was no where to be found.

The 49ers need to send a message to Brandon Aiyuk that he's not bigger than the team

At this point, Aiyuk's situation is becoming a distraction whether or not the team wants to admit as much. There have been plenty of players in similar situations, who have desired a new contract, and ended up playing out the season.

It's called "betting on yourself," and Aiyuk should give it a shot.

We know, by now, that the 49ers will be able to survive with or without Aiyuk. Shanahan's offense has proven to work with multiple quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers. Even before adding Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco had success.

Now, with McCaffrey, they're a completely different beast. But, with the well-oiled machine that is Shanahan's offense, the 49ers are going to be just fine if Aiyuk ends up sitting out, or even if he's traded.

With Aiyuk missing practice, now, the team must fine him. There is no excuse not to. It's time to lay down the law: fine him or trade him.

The 49ers had an agreement in place with the Pittsburgh Steelers for an Aiyuk trade, so what's the holdup? There was also a trade reportedly in place with the Cleveland Browns, but Aiyuk didn't want to play in Cleveland. So, that idea was nixed.

In his world, it's all about Aiyuk. But, he's got to realize that this is not about him. It's about the 49ers as an organization, and whether or not he believes it, the team is going to survive and thrive without him, if it came to that.