It’s possible the association between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is reaching its conclusion. According to reports from The Athletic, after five seasons, the 49ers have become increasingly dissatisfied with Aiyuk over recent months.
Aiyuk was placed on the physically unable to perform list in July while he was in the process of recovering from an ACL and MCL tear that concluded his previous season. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned in August that Aiyuk had the possibility of returning as soon as October, but the receiver is still awaiting reactivation by the team.
According to The Athletic, the bond between Aiyuk and the team has reportedly faced challenges behind the scenes. The Athletic states that Aiyuk has reportedly missed team meetings and other team engagements over the past couple of months, and that San Francisco is particularly frustrated with Aiyuk’s “lack of communication.”
The Athletic also reported that the 49ers nullified the guaranteed funds in Aiyuk’s contract for 2026, citing that his absences constitute a breach of contract. Spotrac indicates that the receiver is scheduled to have a cap hit of $15,390,281 in the upcoming season.
The Athletic reports that Aiyuk informed the NFL Players Association that he did not intend to file a complaint against the action, potentially paving the way for the 27-year-old receiver to be released at the season’s end.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan informed reporters on Saturday that Aiyuk’s bonus for the upcoming season was voided back in July, but he remained ambiguous regarding the specifics of Aiyuk’s attendance. He noted that there hadn’t been “much dialogue” between himself and Aiyuk, while also clarifying that “what occurred in July is unrelated to the future,” as stated by Vic Tafur of The Athletic.
Aiyuk committed to a four-year, $120 million agreement with San Francisco following a stellar 2023 season. The arrangement brought an end to a lengthy holdout and period of trade speculation, with the receiver acknowledging later that he made the situation “a little bit more complicated than necessary.”
Aiyuk participated in seven games in 2024 prior to his ACL tear, maintaining efficiency despite his limitations. He concluded the year with 25 catches for 374 receiving yards—placing him fifth in the team’s receiving statistics for both categories, despite playing half as many games as the majority of the roster.
Despite the ongoing issues, the 49ers expressed a desire to retain Aiyuk’s services as recently as last week, with general manager John Lynch stating that the team’s “intention is to bring Brandon back.”
