The final nail in the coffin for the Brandon Aiyuk debacle has been driven.
The long, uneasy standoff between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is finally over.
On Wednesday, general manager John Lynch publicly confirmed that the former first-round pick will not return to the franchise, ending months of speculation surrounding one of the NFL’s most complicated contract situations.
“It’s safe to say he’s played his last snap here,” Lynch said during his end-of-season press conference.
Aiyuk hasn’t appeared in a game since October 2024, and his absence has loomed over the organization for more than a year.
What began as a contract dispute eventually spiraled into a complete breakdown in communication, culminating in the 49ers placing the receiver on the reserve/left squad list in December
The unraveling has been swift and surprising, given how recently Aiyuk stood among the league’s rising stars. Coming off a second-team All-Pro season, he signed a four-year, $120 million extension late in the summer of 2024 after a prolonged holdout.
Any optimism that the deal would reset the relationship quickly faded. Aiyuk missed training camp, struggled to regain form early in the season, and then suffered a devastating knee injury that ended his year after just six games.
San Francisco explored trade possibilities last offseason, but Aiyuk’s injury and contract made finding a suitable deal unrealistic. As the 2025 offseason progressed, tensions escalated further.
The 49ers grew increasingly frustrated with Aiyuk’s lack of participation in rehab and team activities, eventually voiding the guaranteed money in his contract for 2026.
Communication eventually ceased altogether. According to Shanahan, repeated attempts to reach Aiyuk went unanswered, leaving the organization with little choice but to move forward without him.
“It’s confusing for all of us,” Shanahan said. “At some point, you realize it’s not going to change, and you have to move on.”
From a financial standpoint, the separation will be costly. Releasing Aiyuk would leave nearly $30 million in dead cap on the books, though the 49ers can lessen the immediate impact by using a post-June 1 designation.
Despite the hit, Lynch emphasized that clearing the situation allows the team to regain flexibility as it evaluates a wide receiver group already facing uncertainty, including Jauan Jennings’ upcoming free agency and Ricky Pearsall’s injury-plagued season.
Aiyuk, now 27, leaves San Francisco having flashed elite potential but never reaching the long-term stability both sides once envisioned.
Selected 25th overall in the 2020 draft, he developed into a cornerstone of the offense before the relationship deteriorated beyond repair.
For the 49ers, Wednesday’s announcement closes a chapter that lingered far longer than anyone anticipated.
The divorce may be expensive and messy, but with Lynch’s confirmation, San Francisco can finally focus on building its next version of the offense without Brandon Aiyuk in the picture.