Brandon Aiyuk’s stunning 49ers exit just became official — and the fallout is already shaking the locker room.QQ
Brandon Aiyuk (Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images)
A year after agreeing to a lucrative four-year contract extension worth $120 million, it appears Brandon Aiyuk’s tenure with the San Francisco 49ers is coming to an end.
Brandon Aiyuk has yet to play this season as he continues to recover from a torn ACL he suffered in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs in October of last year. General manager John Lynch said the star wideout was “not close” to returning in September, and there’s still no update on whether he might play this season.
Regardless, Aiyuk is reportedly on borrowed time with the 49ers.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Michael Silver, it “appears that Aiyuk and the 49ers are headed for a stunning divorce.” Here’s what the two insiders reported:
“It’s now likely that the 27-year-old has played his last game with the franchise, according to numerous sources briefed on the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive situation. Some in the organization are holding out hope that the relationship can be salvaged enough for him to return this season. However, multiple sources believe that a reconciliation is unlikely.
Aiyuk, sources say, has failed to attend meetings and declined to participate in other team activities in recent months, and the 49ers have grown increasingly frustrated with the receiver’s lack of communication…
His presence at the team’s training facility has become scarce; sources say Aiyuk typically works out early in the morning and departs before other 49ers players arrive. Numerous members of the organization — including some 49ers players — have reached out to Aiyuk in recent weeks in an unsuccessful attempt to bring him back into the fold, one source said.”
The report notes that the 49ers voided guaranteed money in Aiyuk’s deal for next season. Russini and Silver added that since Brandon Aiyuk isn’t planning to fight it, this “would clear the way for his expected release at season’s end.”
Last month, Aiyuk removed 49ers references from his social media accounts, another strong indicator that he’s become increasingly unhappy with the organization.
49ers Offense Has Survived During Brandon Aiyuk’s Absence
As great as Aiyuk was for the 49ers from 2020 to 2023, it’s clear that they have enough offensive weaponry to get by without him. Christian McCaffrey is still a top-five running back in the game, and George Kittle, Jauan Jennings, Kendrick Bourne and Ricky Pearsall have been invaluable as pass-catchers.
The salary cap system forces teams to lose key players, and the 49ers cannot justify keeping Aiyuk with his current contract and injury history. They can clear a lot of money by releasing or trading him in the offseason, making this an easy call for Lynch.
If the 49ers do cut ties with Aiyuk, there certainly won’t be a shortage of teams interested. He’ll be just 28 next year and exceeded the 50-catch and 700-yard marks in each of his first four seasons.
