The breakup between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has felt inevitable for months.

Now, according to Adam Schefter, the final step could come swiftly once the new league year begins.

Advertisement

Speaking on Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take, Schefter made it clear he doesn’t anticipate a trade materializing. Instead, he believes San Francisco will simply cut ties.

“He’ll be released on the first day of the league year, I would think,” Schefter said, pointing to March 11 as the likely end date of Aiyuk’s tenure in the Bay Area.

The prediction aligns closely with comments from general manager John Lynch at the 2026 NFL Combine.

While Lynch stopped short of confirming a release, he hinted that nothing would happen until the new league year officially opens, a telling sign that procedural timing is all that remains.

Advertisement

For San Francisco, the options appear limited. Trade talks once dominated headlines, but circumstances have shifted dramatically.

Aiyuk’s devastating 2024 knee injury, which included a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus, sidelined him for the entire 2025 campaign.

Any interested team would need extensive medical evaluations before even considering absorbing the financial risk tied to his contract.

And that contract is no small hurdle. Aiyuk is scheduled to carry base salaries of roughly $27 million in 2027 and $29 million in 2028.

Even without factoring in voided guarantees, those figures make a deal complicated for a player coming off a major injury and a season away from football.

Advertisement

Schefter emphasized that while teams remain curious, the “math is different” now. Previous trade discussions reportedly collapsed when Aiyuk declined to accept certain destinations.

Add in the injury concerns and some off-field social media distractions, and the landscape has changed considerably.

From the 49ers’ perspective, releasing Aiyuk at the start of the league year provides clarity. It allows the front office to officially move forward while giving the receiver a fresh start elsewhere, albeit likely on a prove-it type deal.

What once looked like a drawn-out standoff now appears to have a defined ending. With fewer than two weeks remaining before the league calendar flips, all signs point toward a clean break.

Advertisement

If Schefter’s projection proves accurate, March 11 will close a dramatic two-year chapter between the 49ers and one of their most talented and polarizing playmakers.

Several teams will likely inquire with Aiyuk’s camp upon his release, with franchises like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Commanders previously showing interest.