The San Francisco 49ers decided to place Brandon Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list, making him ineligible to return this season. As a result, many expect the Niners to part ways with the wide receiver in the offseason.
Aiyuk’s uneasy standing with San Francisco surfaced publicly on November 21, when The Athletic reported the 49ers removed the guaranteed money from the 2026 portion of the contract during training camp after Aiyuk did not meet specific conditions.
The move eliminated a $24.935 million option bonus that was scheduled to become guaranteed on April 1. Then, on December 13, less than a month after that report emerged, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco reported the Niners’ latest decision regarding Aiyuk.
With the Arizona State product likely done in the Bay Area, former 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman weighed in on the situation.
“It looks like his time with the San Francisco 49ers is coming to an end,” Sherman said on the December 14 edition of “The Richard Sherman Podcast.” “I have a hard time seeing a way to mend the relationship or the partnership from either side. Brandon obviously feels slighted and frustrated, and for the life of me, I cannot understand why. They paid him a lot of money to play receiver in the National Football League.
“Obviously, when you get injured, you feel frustrated. There was speculation about him getting traded before he got paid, and it did not feel right when the deal was signed in the first place. It seemed like a trade was inevitable. He was unhappy, frustrated, and venting.”
49ers Didn’t Want to Void Brandon Aiyuk’s Money
Moreover, Sherman believes that once negative information about Aiyuk and the 49ers began leaking to the media, a split between the two parties would be the likely outcome. Nonetheless, Sherman doesn’t believe that San Francisco have been out to recoup as much as possible, as the Aiyuk extension hasn’t gone as planned.
“It felt like a split was inevitable at the time,“ Sherman added. “Maybe things mended a little bit when he got paid, and everyone was happy, but even the way the injury happened stood out. I think he played four games, got banged up, and has not seen the field since. Everything that has come out of the 49ers camp has been pretty negative.
“When every conversation and every interaction turns negative, it feels destined to end in a split. I know people feel strongly about them voiding the guarantee as soon as they could, but the San Francisco 49ers did not want to void Brandon Aiyuk’s guarantee.”
Kyle Shanahan Wanted Brandon Aiyuk to Stay
Despite the decision to void the player’s $24.935 million option bonus, head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear that moving on from Aiyuk is not something he wants to do this offseason, even if the roster decision now suggests the 49ers may be headed that way.
“What happened in July to me, in my opinion, doesn’t have anything to do with the future; that had to do with circumstances that were out of a coach’s hand,“ Shanahan said when speaking to the media on November 22.
“When it comes to business matters, lawyers, contracts, and the future of this, I would love for BA to be here, get healthy, and get back to really helping us out and being a part of this team. We haven’t had that in a little bit, and I still hold out hope that he can get there, but he obviously hasn’t gotten there yet.”
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