SANTA CLARA – General manager John Lynch is not dismissing a Brandon Aiyuk comeback to the 49ers this wildly unpredictable season, as unrealistic as Aiyuk’s return may be amid his knee recovery and contract chaos.
The 49ers are 9-4 entering this week’s bye, and as Lynch said Tuesday on KNBR 680-AM: “This year it’s anybody’s championship.”
Aiyuk isn’t just anybody when it comes to potentially contributing to the 49ers’ path to Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8.
The sixth-year wide receiver remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list and has not been medically cleared from last year’s knee reconstruction. On top of that, his reported absence from conditioning sessions prompted the 49ers in late July to void his 2026 contract guarantees worth $27 million.
Quarterback Brock Purdy, in following Lynch on KNBR, said of Aiyuk: “All the contract stuff, I’m totally out of that. It has nothing to do with me so I can’t speak to that. But it does suck because I love B.A. and all the moments we’ve had on the field together have been awesome. … It sort of sucks right now, it’s sort of all grey, and we don’t really know what’s going on.”
Aiyuk’s been out of the media’s sights for two months around the 49ers’ headquarters.
Here are five aspects Lynch spoke about regarding Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings and the 49ers’ plight:
On how realistic a comeback is for the 49ers’ potential fourth playoff appearance in five years:
Lynch: “Realistic, I’m not sure. Hopeful, yeah. That’s where I’d leave that. He continues to rehab. Like I’ve always said, we’re a better team when Brandon is out there. I hope that’s the case, but I think that’s what it is, hope right now. I wish it were a little bit more than that.”
On how Aiyuk’s saga has impacted the locker room chemistry:
Lynch: “No. 1, we’re focusing on the guys out here because they’re a tremendous group and they’re all about the team. When you have a situation like this, from the (contract) negotiation all the way through and then you get that fixed … He has a really tough injury. What you do, what I try to do on all these situations, is look inward, what could I have done better and what could we have done better. The great thing about this is it’s not over. We can take that and hopefully move forward … so we’re get everyone on the same page and all pulling in the same direction.”
On how the 49ers’ 2026 salary cap will be impacted, with them facing a $29 million hit if Aiyuk is released or traded in the offseason before June 1:
Lynch: “We’ll focus on our bye week resting up. We’ll deal with all of that. We’re always on top of that. We’re going to be just fine. We’re hopeful Brandon is a part of us. I hope that’s never an issue. I hope that Brandon is back with us and we’re moving forward with him as one of our core players.”
On whether the 49ers’ relationship with Aiyuk was strained once The Athletic first reported Nov. 21 about the contract’s 2026 voids
Lynch: “I don’t necessarily know that the reporting was an inflection point. But, I think, the entire time, it hasn’t been great. You do your best to rectify those things. Then everyone has to be professionals and conduct themselves in that manner. That’s how we treat all our players. We’ve had a great relationship with Brandon and look forward to that continuing.”
On whether Jauan Jennings, who replaced Aiyuk as the 49ers’ leading receiver last season, got out of line with his verbal taunts as Browns defenders alleged after Sunday’s game:
Lynch: “Yeah there’s a line. We’ve seen some terrible stuff, like spitting. Jauan’s never done that. I’m not out there so I don’t know exactly what he says, but there are people I trust who are out there and heard him. I don’t think Jauan is saying anything … I do know Jauan plays incredibly hard and plays through the whistle. That’s how I was taught to play. I have a great deal of respect. I understand that can be frustrating for opposing players because they’re not used to it.
“I kind of liken it to Draymond (Green). He plays so hard he’s an irritant. That’s very similar. Jauan plays really hard to the whistle and guys frankly aren’t used to receivers doing that. He’s exceptionally strong and tosses guys around. It’s a great thing he’s on our side.
“I don’t believe he crosses the line with things he says out there. He gets under people’s skin because he plays a certain way. I can tell you this, they all wish he was on their team, and we love having him on ours.”