Brandon Aiyuk: Uncertainty in the 49ers Receiver’s Future
Brandon Aiyuk’s situation with the San Francisco 49ers is causing concern. After suffering a serious knee injury in October 2024, the receiver has yet to return to the team, and with six games remaining in the 2025 regular season, the possibility that he won’t play with the 49ers again is increasingly likely. During training camp, the 49ers voided the guaranteed money that Aiyuk had in his 2026 contract, because he did not meet the requirements of the agreement. This contractual alteration includes an option bonus worth $24.935 million, which was originally guaranteed on April 1st of this year and has now been voided. Aiyuk also has a base salary of $1.215 million and bonuses for training and game appearances. However, it is unclear if any of these will be paid, as the voiding of the 2026 guarantees opens the possibility of the Niners parting ways with him in the near future. The main question is whether Aiyuk will play this season. He suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and meniscus in the Week 7 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024, and has been in rehabilitation during the preseason and the current season.According to a source, Aiyuk has not yet been cleared to return from a medical standpoint. This adds to the 49ers’ apparent dissatisfaction with the situation, dating back to the months before the signing of his four-year, $120 million contract extension on August 29, 2024. This extension was finalized after a long standoff between the team and Aiyuk, in which he was close to being traded to the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, and Pittsburgh Steelers at different times. After a conversation with coach Kyle Shanahan, Aiyuk agreed to sign the $30 million per year contract. However, signs of disagreement soon emerged, including a public incident at training camp. Aiyuk struggled in the first four games, but seemed to be regaining his form in Week 5, with eight receptions for 147 yards against the Arizona Cardinals. Two weeks later, he suffered the knee injury against the Chiefs, which ended his season. Despite not playing, Aiyuk was a constant presence at training camp, and even received praise from wide receivers coach Leonard Hankerson for his willingness to help the team’s other receivers. While Aiyuk continues working on rehabilitation, he has not been seen in the part of the training open to the media for weeks, nor has he been in the locker room during the sessions with the media. For now, Aiyuk remains on the list of players physically unfit to play. Since he is not on the injured reserve, he would not count towards the limit of eight players that the team can bring back from that list. This means that, theoretically, the team could open Aiyuk’s practice window without him playing a game. On November 5th, Shanahan was asked if there was a possibility that Aiyuk wouldn’t play this season. “I’m pretty sure he’ll eventually do it,” Shanahan said then. “At least he’ll open his practice window.” The 49ers are scheduled to have their final practice of the week on Saturday afternoon, before Monday night’s game against the Carolina Panthers. Shanahan will speak after practice.“Brandon is week to week. With an injury as big as that, we’re just waiting for him to feel completely comfortable to start practicing.”
Kyle Shanahan, 49ers coach
