49ers make a telling call involving Brandon Aiyuk, and the result makes his long-term future feel noticeably murkier
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk may have played his final down as a 49er.
Things clearly have not gone as expected since the San Francisco 49ers gave wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk a four-year extension last year. Now, though, the situation has reached an inflection point. After spending the first 14 weeks of the season on the physically unable to perform list, Aiyuk has now been placed on the reserve/left squad list, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
What that means for Aiyuk’s future with the 49ers
The first immediate meaning is that Brandon Aiyuk is officially out for the rest of the season. Being on this list means that the player is ineligible to return.
Aiyuk will not earn the rest of his salary in 2025 (base salary and per-game bonuses), around $320k. Most of his earnings this season were an option bonus, so he’s already received that part.
Future is murkier
In regards to the future, though, the situation is more complicated. Brandon Aiyuk is slated to make $27 million in 2026, but the 49ers were able to void his guarantees because of how allegedly he failed to comply with the team’s demands during his recovery from an ACL and MCL injuries.
Brandon Aiyuk tore his knee ligaments back on Oct. 20, 2024, and hasn’t played football since. That means he played only seven games, with 25 receptions for 374 yards, and zero touchdowns since signing his contract extension.
More likely than not, Aiyuk has already played his final game for San Francisco. Now, it’s just a matter of when and how the sides will part ways — and more likely than not, the 49ers will be forced to release Aiyuk.
A first-round pick back in 2020, Aiyuk has played 69 games for the 49ers, totalling 4,305 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns. He had two consecutive seasons over 1,000 receiving yards in 2022 and 2023, helping the team reach a Super Bowl, but the contract drama and injuries ultimately affected his value — and it certainly ended up being a bad deal for the Niners, who almost traded him to the Pittsburgh Steelers before agreeing to the extension.
San Francisco 49ers News
New 2026 NFL mock draft has the 49ers landing the future successor to an aging starter to help make Brock Purdy’s life easier
A new 2026 NFL 3-round mock draft has the 49ers finding Trent Williams’ future successor in a player who, at one point, was viewed as a top ten pick.
