Two years ago, the 49ers were riding high in a season that saw them reach the Super Bowl while four of their skills position players eclipsed 1,000 yards of offense — running back Christian McCaffrey eclipsed 2,000. Today’s 49ers are still in the thick of the hunt for the playoffs, and it’s a wonder they are, considering one of the abovementioned players is no longer on the team and another could soon follow. 
According to Dianna Russini and Michael Silver of The Athletic, the 49ers appear to be preparing to part ways with veteran wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The telltale sign informing this report was the team’s decision to void the guaranteed money on Aiyuk’s contract for 2026, based on some of the receiver’s recent behavior.
Just before the start of the 2024 NFL season, the 49ers put an end to a lengthy, contentious contract negotiation, signing Aiyuk to a four-year, $120MM extension. Aiyuk had staged a hold in for 38 days after refusing to play on his fifth-year option and demanding a new contract. He even requested a trade and was linked to several teams throughout the hold in. Hold ins like that have been made popular in recent years as the 49ers have seen similar negotiations go sour before an eventual resolve late in the summer.
After putting their strife aside, a disappointing start to Aiyuk’s 2024 campaign went from bad to worse when he suffered a torn ACL seven weeks into the season. Aiyuk once again drew trade interest in the offseason, but it was Deebo Samuel who got shipped out to DC. When an Aiyuk-trade didn’t end up taking place by April, the focus shifted to a midseason return for the 27-year-old. As the start of the season and a placement on the reserve/physically unable to perform list drew nearer and nearer, Week 6 was disclosed as the target return date.
A little over a month ago, that target was pushed out to November, but his 21-day practice window remained unopened. Per Russini and Silver, there were things behind the scenes that contributed to the lack of clarity on a return plan, and some of those things contributed to a situation that now seems to be on the verge of divorce.
Reports out of the Bay Area claim that Aiyuk has been frequently absent in recent months, failing to attend meetings and declining to participate in other team activities. Additionally, the team has “grown increasingly frustrated with (Aiyuk’s) lack of communication.” The wideout is reportedly a ghost in the building, working out early in the morning and departing before teammates arrive. The report claims that numerous members of the team — both staff and players — have unsuccessfully reached out, attempting to reel Aiyuk back in.
This lack of communication and attendance led the 49ers to drastic measures. In response, San Francisco voided the 2026 guaranteed money in Aiyuk’s contract, “asserting that the absences amounted to a failure to fulfill his contractual obligations.” When approached by the NFL Players Association and asked if he wanted to push back with an official grievance, Aiyuk expressed that he had no interest. With no guarantees for next year, it’s expected the 49ers would release Aiyuk from his contract at the end of the season, making him a free agent.
According to Russini and Silver, there are still some in the building who are “holding out hope that the relationship can be salvaged” and that he might still make his debut this season, but reconciliation seems an unlikely result at this point. Now, those teams that were connected to Aiyuk after his trade request — the Steelers, Browns, and Patriots, who all could use a big upgrade at the position — will likely be watching this situation closely, hoping for Aiyuk’s eventual release.