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Nick Wagoner
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The focus has shifted from whether the San Francisco 49ers will part ways with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to when that transition will officially take place.
During Wednesday’s end-of-season press conference, Niners general manager John Lynch confirmed a long-anticipated decision: Aiyuk will not be returning to the only NFL team he has known.
“I think it’s safe to say that he’s played his last snap with the Niners,” Lynch noted. “It’s unfortunate. This is a situation that went awry. I will reflect on what could have been done differently, but sometimes things just don’t pan out. This is one of those cases.”
Lynch mentioned that a move involving Aiyuk—whether a release or, less likely, a trade—will happen in “due time,” ending one of the more tumultuous player-team conflicts in recent memory.
After a lengthy contract impasse in the summer of 2024, the 49ers and Aiyuk agreed to a four-year, $120 million extension with $76 million guaranteed on Aug. 29, 2024. but, just weeks later, any hopes of a unified front were shattered when Aiyuk had an uncomfortable interaction with head coach Kyle Shanahan during practice on Sept. 27, over Aiyuk wearing red shorts while his teammates wore the mandated black.
Aiyuk’s offseason absence from training camp and subsequent struggles on the field did not help his cause. He averaged only 58.5 receiving yards per game with zero touchdowns during the first six games of that season before suffering a devastating knee injury on Oct. 20 that ended his season.
Sources informed ESPN that the 49ers had intended to trade Aiyuk last offseason, but his injury derailed those plans, as demand for an injured player under a large contract was nonexistent.
Aiyuk’s $24.935 million roster bonus for 2026 became guaranteed as of April 1, 2025, yet issues arose again when he missed several rehab sessions during the offseason.
This culminated in July when the 49ers voided approximately $27 million in guarantees from Aiyuk’s contract for 2026. Shanahan stated on Nov. 22 that in his two decades of coaching, he had never encountered a situation where a player’s contract was voided.
Around this period, Aiyuk completely stopped attending team activities and, according to Shanahan, ceased all communication with personnel.
“I’d say it officially stopped for me when the last time I tried to reach out to him and failed, along with others trying to connect with him. Eventually, there isn’t much of an explanation; it’s hard for us or anyone else to wrap their heads around, which is why I’ve never seen anything like it in 22 years of coaching. It’s unfortunate and perplexing for all involved, but it eventually becomes a matter of ‘it is what it is.’
On Dec. 13, the 49ers placed Aiyuk on the reserve/left team list, typically designated for players who either intend to retire or take a break from football. This designation ensured that Aiyuk would not be playing at all in 2025.
Next, the 49ers must determine when and how to part ways with Aiyuk. Because they voided his future guarantees, releasing him in the offseason would incur about $30 million in dead money on the salary cap. They could opt for a post-June 1 release, spreading out the dead money into $13.325 million in 2026 and $21.247 million in 2027. Those figures would also apply to a trade, although such a move would not qualify for post-June 1 designation and would mean retaining Aiyuk until summertime.
Lynch remarked on Wednesday that moving on from Aiyuk will enhance the 49ers’ cap flexibility moving forward, especially considering the voiding of his future guarantees. This flexibility is especially crucial with wide receiver Jauan Jennings slated to become an unrestricted free agent and second-year wideout Ricky Pearsall having been limited to just 10 games in 2025 due to injuries.
As for Aiyuk’s lack of communication with the Niners, Lynch expressed, “I wish I had an answer… can’t help you there.”
“You try your best to resolve something you don’t fully understand, but it’s not like we have clarity even now,” Shanahan stated. “Eventually, it becomes clear that it’s not going to change, and you have to move forward with your football team.”
