Kyle Shanahan Breaks His Silence With a Surprisingly Simple Explanation for Why the 49ers Pulled the Plug on Brandon Aiyuk.QQ

49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk will not return this season. / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn ImagesA day before the 49ers earned their 10th win of the year, it was reported that the team will officially be without wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk for the remainder of the 2025 season. The 49ers have placed Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list, making him ineligible to return to the team this season.

Aiyuk lands on the reserve/left squad list after it was reported last month that the 49ers voided the guarantees in his contract for 2026 after he failed to attend meetings and take part in team activities. Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million extension with the 49ers before the 2024 season, but tore multiple ligaments in his knee midway through the season. He has not returned to the field since, and now won’t return this season.

“I really have been hoping he would come back all year but not one point was I really planning on it. That would’ve been a great bonus,” Shanahan added. “That would’ve been awesome. Would love to have BA out there, would love to have that type of player. That was something I realized early on wasn’t gonna come for a while. There was nothing that made me sit there and think it was happening soon.”

Shanahan remains uncertain on what Aiyuk’s future holds. While reports have indicated that Aiyuk and the 49ers are headed toward a “divorce,” Shanahan hasn’t closed the door on him remaining with the team in the future.

“I wouldn’t for sure say that’s been decided,” Shanahan said. “I literally haven’t had to think about BA or had a reason to think about him in a long time. He is under contract next year. BA’s a guy we’ve had a relationship for a while, we’ve always liked BA. Everyone knows how good of a player he is. It’s extremely unfortunate that it’s gotten to this point, but when this year is over, we’ll see where we’re at.”