The 2025 campaign hasn’t necessarily been easy for the San Francisco 49ers, but they still have an 8-4 record heading into Week 13. The team has managed to overcome a slew of injuries to this point, and while they are in third place in the NFC West division, they are still in position to find a way into the postseason at this point in time.
Even with the team succeeding on the field, drama has hovered around this team thanks to star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Recent reports indicated that the Niners voided the remaining guarantees in Aiyuk’s contract, paving the way for him to get released at the end of the 2025 campaign. When asked about the situation involving Aiyuk, general manager John Lynch did not hold back.
John Lynch Addresses 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk Situation
There’s been a lot of drama surrounding Aiyuk for what’s been nearly two years now. After enjoying a breakout campaign in 2023, Aiyuk made it clear he wanted a new contract, and it led to an offseason full of tense negotiations between him and the team. Eventually, he put pen to paper on a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the Niners.
The problem is that Aiyuk was awful in the wake of this new deal, before tearing both his ACL and MCL, which ended his season early. Aiyuk caught just 25 passes for 374 yards during his shortened season, and he’s been working his way back from his injuries ever since then. As a result, he hasn’t taken the field at all in 2025, and it doesn’t seem like he is going to end up playing this year.
That’s because San Fran voided all the remaining guaranteed money on Aiyuk’s big new deal. As a result, Aiyuk has reportedly indicated he doesn’t plan on suiting up again for the 49ers, despite his teammates attempting to convince him to return to the field. It’s a sticky situation for Lynch and the front office, and while he made it clear he wants Aiyuk to return to action, he also revealed that there were certain rules the talented pass catcher broke that led to this standoff.
“Brandon’s rehabbing, he’s trying to get back on the field,” Lynch said on “49ers Talk.” “Some things were reported this week that happened a long time ago. I think both sides probably had moved on from that. There are things that happened. There’s basic rules, team rules, league rules … and when they’re not adhered to, this is the first time it’s happened in our tenure, we felt like we had no other recourse as to exercise those things.
We’ve moved on from it. We want nothing more for Brandon to come back and be a part of this team because he’s a really good football player, and he’s done a lot for our team. We’re very appreciative for that, and we’re better when he’s on the field. Our guys have done a tremendous job of picking up the load when he’s been gone. We have enough, but it’d sure be nice to add another piece.”
What Should the 49ers Do with Brandon Aiyuk?
GettySan Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
As Aiyuk showed in 2023, when he caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns, he has the ability to be one of the wide receivers in the league. Things simply have not worked out for him over the past two seasons, though. His injury situation is obviously concerning, but it seems like his absence on the field right now is due more to his messy relationship with the 49ers.
With no more guaranteed money in his deal, San Fran has created an easy escape path for themselves when it comes to their relationship with Aiyuk. Lynch seems open to salvaging the relationship with Aiyuk, but that bridge may have already been burned. In the immediate future, the Niners will be more focused on finding a way to take down the Cleveland Browns in Week 13.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post 49ers GM John Lynch Clears the Air on WR Brandon Aiyuk appeared first on Heavy Sports.