Much of the NFL world is trying to make sense of the “bizarre situation” unfolding in the inevitable Brandon Aiyuk-49ers divorce.
Speaking Monday on the “Papa & Silver” podcast, The Athletic’s Michael Silver — who broke the news Friday that the Niners voided guaranteed money in Aiyuk’s $120 million contract extension signed just last August, which the wideout did not contest — speculated on the curious series of events after a “very contentious contract dispute.”
“If you are the agent for a player and the team tells you, ‘We’re voiding $26 million or more in recently acquired guarantees,’ that should be a brawl. And I know the player has to want to fight for it too, and I don’t know exactly what’s going on with Brandon, and that may factor in,” Silver said.
The situation developing out of San Francisco with wideout Brandon Aiyuk remains murky. Getty Images
“But if you’re the NFL Players Association and certainly the agent, that’s a fight, and I know [The Athletic’s Dianna [Russini] and I didn’t give exact specifics about why this was voided, cause we don’t have them to report other than he missed a lot of meetings and missed a lot of team activities, but it’s hard for me to imagine that missing some team activities would provoke a team that just signed a guy to that deal to just say, ‘Fine, we’re voiding that much in money,’ and then the player would be like, ‘Yeah, you’re right, I missed some stuff.’ I mean, really?”
Following a lengthy holdout before last season that ended with a four-year, $120 million deal, Aiyuk tallied 25 receptions for 274 yards and zero touchdowns across seven games last season. He then tore his ACL and MCL in his right knee against the Chiefs on Oct. 20, 2024 and has yet to return to the field.
The Athletic initially reported how Aiyuk failed to show up for meetings and did not partake in activities in recent months, leading to aggravation on San Francisco’s part over the receiver’s “lack of communication.”
The team voided roughly $27 million in guaranteed money for 2026 from the four-year pact over the summer, noting the absences did not meet the contractual obligations.
Although 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has acknowledged the “unusual situation” surrounding the team’s first-round pick in 2020, he also “would love for [Aiyuk] to be here” — a sentiment Silver found “bizarre” given the odd state of things.
“Its a bizarre situation and I think fans who are watching it are equally confused because they know if it was their job and their boss just gave them a giant raise that was guaranteed, then they didn’t show up for some stuff and then the boss said, ‘Fine based on the terms of your contract a bunch of that raise is gone forever. But hey, get yourself right and come back, and I want you back working.’ They know that that is a bizarre way to portray things. But we aren’t hearing Brandon Aiyuk’s side of things,” Silver said.
Silver also speculated Aiyuk could have his sights set on a fresh start elsewhere.
Brandon Aiyuk in action for the 49ers in October 2024. Getty Images
When asked if Aiyuk reaches the field and potentially sustains another injury, Silver said, “Probably he and his agent will just go along with whatever the team wants and just give back the injury guarantees and get cut, and I’m saying that obviously with a little sarcasm, but he clearly doesn’t seem to want to fight for money, he seems to be a guy who just wants to not play for the San Francisco 49ers and will take his chances with a torn up knee that he’s coming back from and go somewhere else.”
The 49ers improved to 8-4 with a “Monday Night Football” win over the Panthers to wrap Week 12.