George Kittle casts doubt on Brandon Aiyuk’s reporting to the 49ers facility

As 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk attempts to lay the groundwork for a return to the NFL, at least one 49ers player has expressed skepticism about Aiyuk’s plan.

His new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has said that Aiyuk will report to the 49ers’ facility on Friday. Tight end George Kittle shared his thoughts on the matter Thursday when asked whether he’s looking forward to seeing Aiyuk.

“Do you think he gets in the facility?” Kittle said, via Grant Cohn of SI.com.

When pressed, Kittle invoked his Fifth Amendment right.

“Plead the fifth,” Kittle said. “Yeah. You can ask [G.M.] John [Lynch]. Or [coach] Kyle [Shanahan]. Don’t ask me. I’m a conspiracy guy.”

“Is there a conspiracy?” Kittle was asked.

“Plead the fifth,” he said.

Kittle’s skepticism appears justified. The overall scenario feels odd and uncomfortable. Aiyuk aims to trigger his outright release by reporting for work, after months of making clear he had no intention to do so.

The 49ers are proceeding cautiously for now. Before the team must take action, Aiyuk needs to satisfy various requirements that would force the 49ers into a decision.

Among the possible outcomes, the least likely is Aiyuk being welcomed back onto the roster, especially since he probably has no desire to be on it.

He wants his freedom, and after months of resistance, he has finally initiated the process to achieve it. While the 49ers might attempt to prevent him from becoming a free agent without re‑signing him, the probability of Aiyuk returning to the locker room and ultimately wearing a 49ers helmet again appears exceedingly low.

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