Pro Football Rumors
The 49ers placed AWOL wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list last December, which ended any chance he would play in 2025. Over six months later, Aiyuk still has not applied to come off the list, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports. He will not be eligible to return until he files paperwork with the NFL and receives commissioner Roger Goodell‘s approval.
This continues a strange saga centering on Aiyuk, whose career began taking a dark turn shortly after he signed a four-year, $120MM extension in August 2024. Aiyuk was coming off a second-team All-Pro season then, but a severe knee injury prevented him from building on it. He tore his right ACL, MCL and meniscus in a Week 7 loss to the Chiefs on Oct. 20, 2024, and has not played since.
San Francisco hoped to get Aiyuk back at some point last season, but the team was not pleased with how he approached rehab. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Aiyuk was “extremely distant” throughout the process. The 49ers voided his remaining guarantees last July as a result. While Aiyuk could have fought it by filing a grievance through the NFLPA, he instead let the 50-day window expire. The decision cost him $26MM.
Although the 49ers and Aiyuk have been heading for a divorce for months, they have not given the 28-year-old “firm indication” on whether they will trade or release him, Fowler says. General manager John Lynch has tried to find a trade partner, but two executives told Fowler in May that Aiyuk is considered “untradeable.” That remains the case, per Fowler, which is hardly a shock in light of Aiyuk’s conduct before and since then. Along with an arrest warrant on a misdemeanor charge of exhibition of speed, Aiyuk has made headlines this month for his odd behavior on social media. In one video, he took shots at the 49ers. In another, he openly expressed a desire to sign with the Commanders. Bad news for Aiyuk: The Commanders are not currently planning to add a receiver, Fowler hears.
If the 49ers release Aiyuk, the former first-round pick will hit free agency with his stock at an all-time low. Between his long layoff from a major injury and his off-field actions, he may have to settle for a minimum deal, according to Fowler. This much is clear: Aiyuk will not sign another NFL contract until he sets the wheels in motion for reinstatement from the reserve/left squad list.
