It’s been more than 400 days since wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk last played a down for the San Francisco 49ers.
A second-team All-Pro in the team’s run to Super Bowl 58, Aiyuk suffered a major knee injury in Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season, tearing his ACL, MCL and meniscus.
The injury happened on Oct. 20, 2024 against the Kansas City Chiefs and Aiyuk had major surgery soon after. That may end up being the last time he plays for San Francisco.
The franchise is preparing to part ways with the former first-round pick, according to The Athletic’s Diana Russini and Michael Silver and NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million extension in the 2024 offseason.
The potential split comes as Aiyuk has reportedly been absent for team activities and meetings in recent months. The franchise has responded by voiding guarantees in Aiyuk’s contract for the 2026 NFL season, citing failure to fulfill the deal, according to Russini and Silver.
Per Silver and Russini, Aiyuk told NFL Players Association (NFLPA) representatives he won’t fight the 49ers voiding his guarantees. That’s why the two sides parting ways seems likely after the 2025 season.
Matt Barrows, a 49ers reporter at The Athletic, said that Aiyuk hasn’t been as visible during practices and team activities – at least from what he’s seen.
‘For a while there, we were seeing Brandon Aiyuk, and Brandon Aiyuk wanted to be seen,’ Barrows said on ‘The TK Show’ podcast on Thursday. ‘This was in training camp and this was at the start of the season where he would run those shadow routes while the wide receivers were going through their individual drills.
‘The last month and a half, I have not seen him. Have not seen him at practice, have not seen him in the locker room. … I don’t know if there’s frustration, I don’t know what’s happening there, whether he thought he should have been activated by now and now he’s pouting about it. I don’t know what’s happening. It is a bit odd.’
Due to the extensive damage to his knee, Aiyuk’s timetable for a return was longer than most ACL injuries. Tears to the MCL and meniscus meant an extended recovery process.
‘A year of rehab comes with the territory,’ Barrows said. ‘That’s not shocking, but we’re now beyond the year.”
Injuries have hit San Francisco’s offense hard this year. Wide receivers Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings and Jordan Watkins have all missed time with injuries, as have tight end George Kittle and quarterback Brock Purdy.
Aiyuk had a career year in 2023 with a career-best 1,342 receiving yards. He was off to a slow start in 2024 before the injury that derailed the rest of his season.
The former No. 25 overall pick will be 28 years old by the start of next season and nearly two years removed from NFL regular season competition.
Brandon Aiyuk stats
San Francisco selected him in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the same class featuring the likes of Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb. Here’s how he’s done in each season in the NFL:
2020 (12 games): 96 targets, 60 catches, 748 yards, five touchdowns; six carries, 77 rushing yards, two touchdowns
2021 (17 games): 84 targets, 56 catches, 826 yards, five touchdowns; five carries, 17 rushing yards
2022 (17 games): 114 targets, 78 catches, 1,015 yards, eight touchdowns; two carries, 23 rushing yards
2023 (16 games): 105 targets, 75 catches, 1,342 yards, seven touchdowns
2024 (7 games): 47 targets, 25 catches, 374 yards
Brandon Aiyuk contract
Aiyuk’s contract, at time of publishing, keeps him with the 49ers through 2028. Here’s a breakdown of what the contract includes and how much it would cost the franchise to cut or trade him with figures from OverTheCap:
2025
Base salary: $1.125 million
Prorated bonuses: $4.6 million
Cap number: $5.725 million
2026
Base salary: $1.17 million
Prorated bonuses: $8.34 million
Cap number: $9.92 million
Dead money:
Cut pre-June 1: $56.59 million
Cut post-June 1: $35.34 million
Traded pre-June 1: $29.59 million
Traded post-June 1: $8.34 million
Cap savings:
Cut pre-June 1: -$41.20 million
Cut post-June 1: -$19.95 million
Traded pre-June 1: -$14.20 million
Traded post-June 1: $7.05 million
2027
Base salary: $1.22 million
Prorated bonuses: $13.33 million
Cap number: $15.39 million
Dead money:
Cut pre-June 1: $21.25 million
Cut post-June 1: $8.34 million
Traded pre-June 1: $21.25 million
Traded post-June 1: $8.34 million
Cap savings:
Cut pre-June 1: $20.2 million
Cut post-June 1: $33.11 million
Traded pre-June 1: $20.20 million
Traded post-June 1: $33.11 million
2028
Base salary: $1.17 million
Prorated bonuses: $8.34 million
Cap number: $9.92 million
Dead money:
Cut pre-June 1: $12.91 million
Cut post-June 1: $8.34 million
Traded pre-June 1: $12.91 million
Traded post-June 1: $8.34 million
Cap savings:
Cut pre-June 1: $30.42 million
Cut post-June 1: $34.99 million
Traded pre-June 1: $30.42 million
Traded post-June 1: $34.99 million