San Francisco shifts focus to resolving Brandon Aiyuk’s deteriorating tenure, solidifying a vacant starting guard spot, and weighing veteran additions to fortify a championship-ready roster before July.
With a couple of notable exceptions, the San Francisco 49ers have completed their most important offseason roster maneuvering. It included veteran additions in free agency (headlined by wide receiver Mike Evans and defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa) as well as an NFL draft in which the Niners selected eight players, starting with Ole Miss receiver De'Zhaun Stribling at No. 33 overall. Despite those moves, the Niners still have lingering questions about Brandon Aiyuk's future, a wide open competition at left guard, and whether a long rumored Bosa brothers reunion is finally realistic.
Here’s a closer look at what the 49ers still have to do between now and the start of training camp in July.
What will happen with Brandon Aiyuk?
While the 49ers haven't wavered from their belief that Aiyuk's time in Santa Clara has reached its end, he remains on the roster. After a 2025 season in which he never took the field following a contract "hold-in" and subsequent injury complications, the relationship has significantly deteriorated.
The Niners held out hope that they could trade Aiyuk during the 2026 draft to recoup value for a player once viewed as a franchise cornerstone. General manager John Lynch admitted that while the phone didn't ring as much as expected, the door remains open.
"No new update right now," Lynch said following the draft. "We're available. Give us a call. I think it's the prudent thing to do... the situation didn't work itself out here. That's not to say it can't be rekindled somewhere else."
The next major inflection point is June 1. Trading or releasing Aiyuk after that date would allow the Niners to split his $29.6 million dead money hit over two years, reducing the 2026 cap burden to just $8.3 million. Around the league, the Washington Commanders remain the most logical destination, given Aiyuk’s close ties to quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Who's in at left guard?
With 10 of 11 starting spots on offense effectively settled, the lone vacancy sits at left guard. In 2025, the Niners leaned on a rotation that included Connor Colby, who remains the incumbent but faces stiff competition. To bolster the unit, San Francisco signed veterans Robert Jones and Brett Toth and used a draft pick on Washington's Carver Willis. While Willis played tackle in college, the Niners project him inside.
"He'll be in the competition," coach Kyle Shanahan said of the guard group. "When we get to OTAs, hopefully we have a number of guys fighting for that spot." If Jones can prove he has fully recovered from the neck injury that sidelined him for all of 2025, his 17 games of starting experience for the Dolphins might give him the early edge.
What about safety?
The 49ers used their eight draft picks to address the defensive front and wideout depth, but they notably bypassed the safety position despite several high profile prospects being available.
Currently, the 49ers are looking at a returning core of Ji'Ayir Brown, Malik Mustapha, and Marques Sigle. While this group showed flashes last season, Brown is entering a contract year and Mustapha is still developing. The team did add versatile defensive back Ephesians Prysock in the draft and signed Siran Neal in free agency, but a true veteran anchor at safety is missing.
"We’ve got a group that we really do like," Lynch said. "But kind of the way the board fell, it just didn't work out. The work's not over."
Will the 49ers finally sign Joey Bosa?
The "Bosa to the Bay" rumors have reached a fever pitch now that Joey Bosa is a free agent following a solid 2025 campaign with the Buffalo Bills (79.3 PFF grade).
The 49ers have cleared significant cap space by restructuring Osa Odighizuwa’s deal and extending Williams, fueling speculation that they are saving room for one last "all-in" move. While the team drafted Romello Height to assist Nick Bosa off the edge, Joey represents a level of pedigree no one else on the market can match.
"I'll never say never," Lynch said regarding the elder Bosa. "We'll never close the door to things like that." If Joey remains unsigned as June approaches, the prospect of the brothers finally wearing the same jersey becomes more of a possibility.