As the review begins on the San Francisco 49ers’ 2025 NFL season, the organization already know that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will not be returning.
The 27-year-old didn’t play once for the team this season and last featured in an October 2024 game against Kansas City Chiefs, where he tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus in his knee.
But the issues with Aiyuk go back to the summer previously, where a $27million guarantee was voided in his contract for failing to participate in meetings and other team activities.
‘I think it’s safe to say he’s played his last snap with the 49ers,’ GM John Lynch told reporters on Wednesday.
Given the money involved in Aiyuk’s deal, it’s almost certain that the team will release him.
The 49ers put him on the reserve/left squad list back in December, with head coach Kyle Shanahan explaining: ‘We haven’t seen him in forever.
Brandon Aiyuk’s time with the San Francisco 49ers is about to finally come to an end
49ers GM John Lynch confirmed the news earlier on Wednesday while speaking to reporters
‘That´s the decision they make. It´s been pretty simple for me. I haven’t seen him in a month. It hasn’t been an issue with our team at all. We’ve been plugging away. No big deal. It’s something we’ve been used to for a while.’
Aiyuk has no guaranteed money remaining, making it simpler for the team to cut ties in the offseason.
Speaking back in December, Shanahan added” 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 gone to this point. But when this year´s over, we´ll see where we’re at.’
The 49ers were emphatically beaten 41-6 by the Seattle Seahawks last Saturday, bringing their season to an end in crushing style.
The team will need to bring in some extra help at wide receiver during the offseason, though.
They have been linked with a trade for A.J. Brown at the Philadelphia Eagles, who was unhappy with his workload under Nick Sirianni this season.
