PHOENIX \u2014 Monday night, the NFL threw its annual party at the owners\u2019 meetings at the Arizona Biltmore Resort, with the open bar enticing owners, general managers, coaches and the unassuming media types to unwind a little and share a laugh. The party has changed over the past couple of decades, with the presence of families growing large enough that there is now a grilled cheese station.<\/p>\n
San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan spent most of the night with friend, former co-worker and current Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters. Yes, the topic of Brandon Aiyuk surely came up \u2026 but probably not for as long as you think. The 49ers have made it clear that Aiyuk won\u2019t be back \u2014 never mind owner Jed York\u2019s comments earlier Monday \u2014 but they\u2019re not just going to release the receiver<\/a> anytime soon. And it\u2019s not a petty move out of bitterness, upset that Aiyuk just stopped showing up for his rehab from his knee injury last season.<\/p>\n The logic is simple: If a team is interested in Aiyuk\u2019s services \u2014 and spending as much time with him this spring as possible \u2014 it can trade the 49ers a draft pick. Why would the 49ers do a team that they compete with a favor by handing Aiyuk over for free now? Perhaps they\u2019ll release him after the draft if they can\u2019t find a suitor by then. But San Francisco can wait much longer if it wants to \u2014 the team doesn\u2019t owe Aiyuk anything until his option bonus is due Sept. 1.<\/p>\n The Commanders are seen as the logical team to grab Aiyuk because of his familiarity with Peters from their time with the 49ers and quarterback Jayden Daniels from when they were teammates at Arizona State. But the Commanders have not sent over a draft pick yet, which begs the question: Are they even sure Aiyuk wants to play in 2026 after walking away from that guaranteed money six months ago?<\/p>\n As for York, he raised some eyebrows Monday morning when he told reporters that he wouldn\u2019t mind seeing Aiyuk come back to the 49ers. Now, context is key, as York had just returned from traveling overseas. He started the media session by saying he was watching a video of Shanahan talking about Christian Kirk on his flight Sunday and thought his coach was tampering \u2014 he had no idea the 49ers had signed the former Houston Texans receiver.<\/p>\n York was speaking more in general terms about Aiyuk\u2019s talent, perhaps not realizing Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have shown zero interest<\/a> in bringing Aiyuk back. Furthermore, there is no space for him anymore in the budget.<\/p>\n Maybe York was just taking a jet-lagged step at trying to create some leverage for a trade that no team is currently jumping at.<\/p>\n \u201cBill Parcells said this, and I talked to J.L. and Kyle about this \u2014 our job is to build a culture and to make sure that we bring talent into the building,\u201d York said. \u201cB.A. is a very talented guy. Would love to be able to bring him back into the fold, and if not, I think he\u2019s a valuable asset that other people would want.\u201d<\/p>\n The Aiyuk fallout won\u2019t go away overnight like the concerns over the substation<\/a>, but there were plenty of other things going on at the Biltmore. We canvassed the lobby and bar area to bring you the latest.<\/p>\n Aussie, Aussie, Aussie<\/p>\n The 49ers and Los Angeles Rams appear to be taking entirely different approaches when it comes to their Week 1 matchup in Australia.<\/p>\n While the 49ers plan to arrive in Melbourne well ahead of the game \u2014 Lynch said they might show up roughly a week early \u2014 the Rams\u2019 time there will be much shorter.<\/p>\n This past season, for example, the Rams arrived in London one day before their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which they won 35-7. The early indication is they\u2019ll arrive in Melbourne on Wednesday, Sept. 9, for a game that will be played at 10:35 a.m. local time that Friday. Because of the time difference, kickoff will be 5:35 p.m. Thursday on the West Coast.<\/p>\n The 49ers have been more methodical in their approach to games on foreign soil. They spent a week in the London area before games in 2010 and 2013, both victories. In 2022, they practiced in Colorado Springs in an effort to adjust to the higher altitude ahead of a game against the Arizona Cardinals in Mexico City, a 38-10 win for the 49ers.<\/p>\n Lynch said the team is considering a similar warmup for this season\u2019s game in Mexico City, which will likely be played in November. The 49ers don\u2019t yet know their opponent, though they can block two teams from playing in that game. Those teams: The Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders.<\/p>\n The 49ers didn\u2019t want to face the Broncos because they feel Denver would have an advantage in a contest played at 7,200 feet above sea level, only 2,000 feet above the Broncos\u2019 own stadium. The Raiders, meanwhile, are expected to be a big draw at Levi\u2019s Stadium given their Bay Area roots.<\/p>\n Shanahan had one idea: How about the Rams? Shanahan told PFT Live<\/a> the division rival requested the 49ers for their home game abroad \u2014 making San Francisco fly 18 hours to play them in Australia \u2014 because Niners fans dominate the crowd<\/a> at Los Angeles\u2019 SoFi Stadium.<\/p>\n \u201cThat would suck to have to do silent cadence and to have our home game at their stadium,\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cSo I get their ambitions, but they were rewarded that. So I\u2019m just hoping we can get our request, too. I\u2019d love them to come to Mexico.\u201d<\/p>\n Why Jennings is still on the market<\/p>\n Why does Jauan Jennings, the 49ers\u2019 top wide receiver the past two seasons, remain a free agent? League officials in Phoenix all had the same answer: He\u2019s asking for too much money.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s outplayed his talent,\u201d one head coach said.<\/p>\n The 49ers and Jennings \u2014 who is the only player still available among the top 36 of The Athletic\u2019s free-agent rankings<\/a> \u2014 tried to hash out a long-term deal last summer but couldn\u2019t and instead settled on a reworked one-year deal.<\/p>\n