For anyone hoping that Brandon Aiyuk would play at least this 2025 NFL season for the San Francisco 49ers, that ship has sailed. The latest reporting reveals that the Niners are closing this chapter with the wide receiver.
Aiyuk hasn’t played all season after a severe right knee injury he suffered in October 2024, and with only four regular-season games left, a return looked doubtful. Moreover, in November, details emerged about the relationship between the 49ers and Aiyuk, which began fueling a potential split in the offseason.
According to The Athletic’s November 21 report, the 49ers removed the guaranteed money from Aiyuk’s 2026 contract during training camp after he failed to meet specific conditions. That decision wiped out an option bonus worth $24.935 million that had been scheduled to become guaranteed on April 1 of this year.
On December 13, less than a month since that report emerged, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco reported that the 49ers placed Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list, making him ineligible to return this season, and noted that this decision all but assures an offseason split.
Furthermore, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter confirmed that the 49ers placed the wideout on the reserve/left squad list, making him ineligible to return this season and raising questions about where he’ll be next season.
49ers’ Kyle Shanahan Made Feelings Clear on Brandon Aiyuk
Even though the 49ers decided to void the player’s $24.935 million option bonus, head coach Shanahan emphasized that he personally doesn’t want the team to move on from Aiyuk this upcoming offseason, even though it appears that’s the direction the Niners are taking.
“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.”
49ers Will Miss Brandon Aiyuk This Season
Despite this decision, 49ers legend Steve Young recently stated that not having Aiyuk will significantly impact how the team’s offense operates, especially for Brock Purdy, for the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs.
“I got to believe that with [Aiyuk’s talent and what he gave, particularly to Brock, because Brock’s such a fast processor, getting open in threatening positions,” Young said during a December 3 appearance on KNBR.
“Now, Christian does it from all different places, but that’s not as quickly knifeing into the defense as Brandon can do from his spot. Brandon was that guy that was open quickly, deep on the fringes and outside where things could really cause defense’s grief, and it’s a huge loss.
“It’s terrible that this has happened the way it has. If he’s healthy and ready to go, I invite Brandon and you fix whatever’s wrong, bury whatever it is, and let’s go do this. But it feels like something might have broken, and that’s too bad.”
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