The dominating storyline for the San Francisco 49ers so far this offseason has been the extended contract holdout of star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who is hoping to secure a lucrative contract extension. Aiyuk has been a major part of the 49ers' success over the past few seasons, but San Francisco thus far has shown an unwillingness to budge and give in to the star's demands.

With just over a week now remaining until the 2024 NFL season gets underway, the pressure is mounting for the two sides to come to an agreement, or else the 49ers may be opening things up without one of their best players on the field. Fans hoping that a resolution was on the horizon got some bad news on Thursday afternoon when it was reported that Aiyuk was once again not on the field at practice that day, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN on X, formerly Twitter.

Aiyuk missed all of training camp and preseason for the team, and it's unclear what kind of shape he would be in if he were to get a deal done with the 49ers sometime over the next week.

Further turning up the pressure on San Francisco is the fact that recently, other deals have gotten done with players who had been holding out, including Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who recently became the second highest paid receiver in the NFL behind only Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson.

Can the 49ers win without Brandon Aiyuk?

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) makes a catch against Kansas City Chiefs safety Mike Edwards (21) during overtime of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
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Even without the services of Brandon Aiyuk in the lineup, the 49ers still have arguably the most talented skill positional room of any team in the league, with Christian McCaffrey being clearly the best running back on the planet, and both Deebo Samuel and George Kittle providing substantial downfield threats.

Still, it would certainly help to have Aiyuk, who has already established himself as one of the NFL's most talented young wide receivers, out there on the field as well, especially considering the reported struggles of quarterback Brock Purdy during training camp this year.

Perhaps in an attempt to offset this possibility, the 49ers signed former second round pick Terrace Marshall to their practice squad on Thursday, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network on X.

Last year, Aiyuk made several huge plays for the 49ers during their run to the Super Bowl, and he provides a stabilizing presence for a team that is filled with talent all over the field.

In any case, the 49ers first game will take place at home vs the New York Jets on September 9 in a Monday Night football affair.