What in the world is going on with Brandon Aiyuk?
The San Francisco 49ers were expected to release the former Arizona State wide receiver, and many thought that, with the urging of former Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Washington Commanders would quickly swoop in, offer Aiyuk a one-year prove-it contract, and Aiyuk would then sign the deal.
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The new NFL league year began on Wednesday, and the 49ers have not yet released Aiyuk. Why? Well, it’s a business, and the 49ers know they came up on the short end of the stick, seeing how Aiyuk didn’t produce anything close to what he was paid by the 49ers. The organization rewarded Aiyuk’s very good play with a nice contract. Aiyuk signed the four-year, $120 million contract extension with the 49ers on August 30, 2024.
However, all the 49ers received back was seven games and 25 catches for 374 yards. They want to get something more. They are hoping they can talk any NFL team into giving them something in a trade for Aiyuk. So, don’t be surprised if the 49ers might even choose to hold onto Aiyuk into the draft, hoping some team will offer a later-round pick, so the 49ers don’t simply release him, receiving nothing in return.
Things quickly went south for Aiyuk and the 49ers when facing the Kansas City Chiefs on October 20, 2024. Aiyuk suffered a torn ACL and MCL, ending his 2024 season. What is not understandable to the 49ers is how the rehab process also went south in 2025.
Every NFL season, a number of players suffer a devastating knee injury, immediately ending their season. Those NFL players willingly place themselves under an extensive rehabilitation program. They do this because they understand it is their only hope of regaining the strength and mobility needed to resume their NFL career. These NFL players typically rehab and recover for about 9-12 months before they reach a level of stability that allows them to be cleared to practice and then play games.
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However, Aiyuk’s rehabilitation and recovery process did not go nearly as well. Now, we always want to be fair. There are two sides to each story. Aiyuk’s rehabilitation was going to be a long, tough journey. The 49ers position is that Aiyuk while still taking guaranteed money for the 2025 season, began missing rehabilitation sessions.
Compounding the situation further, the 49ers allege that Aiyuk then began cutting off communication with the team, while still taking the money, but not meeting expectations of rehab and communication. Consequently, Aiyuk did not return to play for any of the 2025 season.
The 49ers are moving forward without Aiyuk, as the two parties remain estranged. So, the 49ers have voided $27M in guarantees to Aiyuk for the 2026 season. Aiyuk on the other hand is not fighting the penalties by the 49ers, presumably because he knows he violated team policies in not fulfilling his responsibilities in the rehabilitation process.
And so we wait…
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This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: What is going on with 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk?