SANTA CLARA — Kyle Shanahan kept it straightforward when asked why the 49ers decided to place Brandon Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list Saturday.
“I mean, we haven’t seen him in forever,” Shanahan said Sunday after San Francisco’s win over the Tennessee Titans. “So, I mean, that’s just, that’s just a decision they make. It’s been pretty simple for me; I haven’t seen him in a month. Same with our team. It hasn’t been an issue with our team at all; we’ve kind of been plugging away and no big deal.
“It’s something we’ve been used to for a while, but you know, it’s new to you guys. So officially, they, I think, had to do that yesterday.”
#49ers HC Kyle Shanahan on WR Brandon Aiyuk being placed on the reserve/left squad list:
“We haven’t seen him in forever. It’s been pretty simple for me … I haven’t seen him in a month.”
(📽️ @49ers) pic.twitter.com/eoPbsxu9YU
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 15, 2025
Aiyuk hasn’t played a single snap this season after he sustained a severe knee injury more than a year ago. Now, despite the last ounce of hope held by the 49ers that he could return in 2025, Aiyuk officially is ineligible to play again for San Francisco this season.
His 49ers teammates don’t like to get too into it, but both quarterback Brock Purdy and tight end George Kittle have acknowledged that the situation “sucks” and is “sad.”
In five seasons with San Francisco, Aiyuk has compiled 4,305 yards with 25 touchdowns on 294 receptions. A first-round pick in 2020, Aiyuk had his best season in 2023 with a career-high 1,342 yards with seven touchdowns on 75 receptions, and he also led the team in receptions and yards during the 2022 campaign.
Even without that production this season — and several injuries on both sides of the ball — the 49ers somehow are 10-4 and battling in a tight-knit NFC playoff race. Because Aiyuk hasn’t been a factor in San Francisco’s somewhat surprising success this season, Shanahan has the utmost confidence in the offensive weapons that are out there on the field.
“I mean, we’ve been playing with our receiving group all year,” Shanahan said. “I really had been hoping he would come back all year, but not one point was I really planning on it. That would have been a great bonus. That would have been awesome. Would love to have B.A. out there. Would love to have that type of player.
“But that was something I realized early on wasn’t going to come for a while. There was nothing that made me sit there and think it was happening soon. I think the rest of our team also.”
Shanahan said to his knowledge, no one from the 49ers’ side has been in contact with the 27-year-old wideout.
Aiyuk was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list at the start of training camp.
The 49ers voided the remaining guaranteed money in Aiyuk’s contract early in training camp due to his failure to live up to the terms of his contract. Lynch told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco on “49ers Game Plan” that he felt like Aiyuk gave the 49ers no choice after not adhering to team policies.
As far as Aiyuk’s future in red and gold, Shanahan said that will be dealt with when it needs to be.
“I wouldn’t say that’s for sure been decided. I literally haven’t had a reason to think about B.A. or had a reason to think about him in a long time,” Shanahan said. “He is under contract next year. B.A.’s a guy we’ve had a relationship with for a while. We’ve always liked B.A.; everyone knows how good of a player he is.
“It’s extremely unfortunate that it’s gotten to this point. But when this year’s over, we’ll see where we’re at.”
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