The relationship between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has seemingly fizzled out.
Niners general manager John Lynch said during a Jan. 21 news conference that Aiyuk has most likely ‘played his last snap’ for San Francisco.
‘The plan in terms of the transaction, that will come in due time, (but) I think it’s safe to say that he’s played his last snap with the Niners,’ Lynch said. ‘It’s unfortunate, you know, situation that just went awry. I will look long and hard at what could have been done differently, but sometimes (it) just doesn’t work out. And I think this was a case where that happened.’
Aiyuk, 27, was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and missed the entire 2025 season, including postseason games, due to injuries sustained to his ACL and MCL in Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season.
At some point during the course of the season, Aiyuk’s relationship with the organization went awry. Lynch said he wasn’t sure what led to the fallout with Aiyuk.
‘I wish I knew,’ Lynch said. ‘I can’t help you there. Sorry.’
When asked if there had been communication with Aiyuk, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters ‘there was, but not anymore.’
‘I say it officially stopped for me when last time I tried to get ahold of him and couldn’t,’ Shanahan said. ‘Then tried a couple more times and still couldn’t, and then that matched everyone else that was trying to get ahold of him and couldn’t. Eventually there’s not much of an explanation, because it’s really hard for us and anyone else to understand.’
Shanahan called the situation ‘unfortunate’ and added that he’d never had an experience like this in his 22 years of coaching.
‘It’s confusing, because it’s confusing for all of us,’ Shanahan told reporters. ‘But it eventually becomes, ‘it is what it is’ and you try as hard as you can to fix something that you don’t understand. It’s not like we understand it very well still, but eventually you understand that it’s not going to change and you got to move on with your football team, which is always the most important thing.’
So, what’s next? Lynch said he’d consider trading for a new wide receiver.
‘We’ll explore anything to make our football team better. I think we’ve shown that,’ Lynch told reporters. ‘We’re going to get together and we’re going to put together our plan like we do each and every year. … We’re open to anything that’s going to make our team better.’
Brandon Aiyuk timeline with 49ers
2020
Aiyuk was selected by the 49ers with the 25th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Aiyuk was drafted out of Arizona State, and before that he played at Sierra College, a junior college in Rocklin, California.
He recorded 60 catches for 748 yards and five touchdowns, appearing in 12 games, in his rookie season. He also ran for two touchdowns in his first year.
2021
In his sophomore season, Aiyuk started 16 games but played in all 17. He finished with 56 catches, 826 yards and five touchdowns.
During a Week 10 game against the Los Angeles Rams, Aiyuk became the fifth-fastest player in franchise history (21 games) to reach 1,000 career receiving yards.
2022
Aiyuk played and started all 17 games in 2022. He recorded his first 1,000-yard season in his third campaign with the 49ers.
He finished with 78 receptions for 1,015 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns.
2023
The 49ers picked up Aiyuk’s fifth-year option on his rookie contract and he followed his 2022 campaign with another 1,000-yard season in 2023.
Aiyuk became the fifth 49ers player to record back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons, joining Jerry Rice (1986-96), Terrell Owens (2000-03), Anquan Boldin (2013-14) and tight end George Kittle (2018-19).
Aiyuk finished the regular season with 75 catches, 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. His performance earned him second team All-Pro honors.
He then helped the 49ers capture the NFC championship, beating the Detroit Lions 34-31 in the conference title game as he recorded three catches, 68 yards and a touchdown. The 49ers lost the Super Bowl in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs, 25-22.
2024
Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the 49ers.
Unfortunately, he had his 2024 season cut short after he tore his ACL and MCL during a Week 7 loss in a Super Bowl rematch with the Chiefs. He missed the remainder of the season.
Aiyuk finished the season with 25 catches and 374 yards.
2025
Aiyuk went into his sixth NFL season on the PUP list as he recovered from his ACL and MCL injuries.
In November, San Francisco voided all guarantees in Aiyuk’s contract due to lack of communication and failure to complete the deal, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Michael Silver. They reported that Aiyuk ‘failed to attend meetings and declined to participate in other team activities.’
Aiyuk told the NFL Players Association that he wouldn’t file a grievance in contest.
He was placed on the reserve/left squad list in December.
That same month, Aiyuk posted a video of himself to his YouTube account that showed him driving past the 49ers home stadium, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, at high speeds exceeding 90 mph, once topping 100 mph, through intersections. The speed limit in that area is 25 mph.
2026
Niners general manager John Lynch says that Aiyuk likely ‘played his last snap’ as a 49er.
Brandon Aiyuk career stats
Games played: 69
Receptions: 294
Yards: 4,305
Touchdowns: 25
Rush attempts: 13
Rush yards: 117
Rush touchdowns: 2