Less than a year-and-a-half after inking a four-year, $120million contract, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is making way for a messy separation from the San Francisco 49ers.
Aiyuk has not played a single snap this season. Last October, he suffered a season-ending knee injury and was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list in July – from which he has not been activated.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the relationship between Aiyuk and the team appears to be unsalvageable – with the player and team ‘headed for a stunning divorce’.
Per Russini, Aiyuk has failed to attend meetings and hasn’t participated in team activities in recent months.
The report also says that the 49ers have ‘grown increasingly frustrated with the receiver’s lack of communication’.
In response, the 49ers have reportedly voided the guaranteed money in Aiyuk’s contract for 2026, saying ‘the absences amounted to a failure to fulfill his contractual obligations’.
The San Francisco 49ers have revoked the guaranteed 2026 money in Brandon Aiyuk’s deal
Aiyuk injured his knee last season and has not returned to the field for the 2025 campaign
Despite now missing out on that guaranteed money – reported to be $26.15m, with an option bonus of $24.935m, according to Spotrac – Russini reports that Aiyuk told NFL Players Association representatives that he does not wish to fight the move by filing an official grievance.
Aiyuk has not yet returned from the PUP. Russini reports that the receiver’s appearances at team facilities have become rare – with the Arizona State product working out early in the morning and leaving before other players arrive.
One source told the outlet that multiple people in the organization, including players, have reached out to Aiyuk to try and bring him back to the team – albeit, unsuccessfully.
Aiyuk was a second-team All-Pro in the 2023 season – leading to a prolonged contract dispute in the 2024 preseason.
However, after coming to an agreement just weeks before the season started, Aiyuk tore the ACL, MCL and meniscus in his right knee in mid-October of 2024 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
After his prolonged hold-out, it appears the strained relationship between player and team has carried over.
The Niners attempted to trade him – with the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots interested. However, Aiyuk prevented those moves from happening.
