The 49ers placed AWOL wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list last December, which ended any likelihood he would play in 2025. Over six months later, Aiyuk still has not applied to return off the list, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports. He is not going to be eligible to return until he files paperwork with the NFL and receives commissioner Roger Goodell‘s approval.
This continues an odd saga centering on Aiyuk, whose profession 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 constructing 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 sooner or later last season, however the team was not pleased with how he approached rehab. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Aiyuk was “extremely distant” throughout the method. The 49ers voided his remaining guarantees last July because of this. While Aiyuk could have fought it by filing a grievance through the NFLPA, he as an alternative let the 50-day window expire. The choice cost him $26MM.
Although the 49ers and Aiyuk have been heading for a divorce for months, they’ve not given the 28-year-old “firm indication” on whether they may trade or release him, Fowler says. General manager John Lynch has tried to search out a trade partner, but two executives told Fowler in May that Aiyuk is taken into account “untradeable.” That is still the case, per Fowler, which is hardly a shock in light of Aiyuk’s conduct before and since then. Together 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 a single video, he took shots on the 49ers. In one other, he openly expressed a desire to sign with the Commanders. Bad news for Aiyuk: The Commanders should not currently planning so as to add a receiver, Fowler hears.
If the 49ers release Aiyuk, the previous first-round pick will hit free agency together with his stock at an all-time low. Between his long layoff from a significant injury and his off-field actions, he could have to accept a minimum deal, in line with Fowler. This much is evident: Aiyuk is not going to sign one other NFL contract until he sets the wheels in motion for reinstatement from the reserve/left squad list.