Brandon Aiyuk’s Time in San Francisco Appears Over as 49ers Make Final Roster Move
It’s been a long, winding road between Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers - and now, it looks like that road has finally reached a dead end.
Just a year after inking a four-year, $120 million extension, Aiyuk’s time in the Bay Area is effectively over. The 49ers have placed the wide receiver on the reserve/left squad list, a move that officially rules him out for the remainder of the season and signals the end of his tenure in red and gold.
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t a sudden decision. The writing’s been on the wall for months.
Aiyuk’s offseason was marred by tension, injuries, and a notable absence from team activities. After the 49ers voided the remaining guarantees in his contract, Aiyuk responded by staying away - first from practices, then from teammates entirely.
He did his rehab work early in the day, before the media or his fellow players arrived, and eventually stopped responding to messages from some of the locker room.
Still, the 49ers held out hope. General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan never closed the door publicly.
In fact, they said all the right things - that they’d welcome Aiyuk back, that there was still a place for him on a team with Super Bowl aspirations and a clear need for a true No. 1 receiver. But the actions on both sides told a different story.
Aiyuk did make a brief appearance during training camp and was even spotted running routes ahead of the second preseason game against the Raiders. But that was the last real sign of engagement. Since then, it’s been silence - and now, finality.
By placing Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list, the 49ers have made it official: there won’t be a late-season reunion, no dramatic playoff return. What’s next is the offseason, and with it, the inevitable questions about Aiyuk’s future - likely with another team.
This marks the likely conclusion of what’s become one of the more puzzling and strained player-team relationships in recent memory. Aiyuk, once a first-round pick with Pro Bowl-level talent, now finds himself on the outside looking in. And for the 49ers, it’s a tough pill to swallow - losing a dynamic playmaker at a time when offensive firepower is at a premium.
The next chapter will almost certainly involve trade talks or a release, and there will be no shortage of interest around the league. Aiyuk’s talent isn’t in question. But for now, San Francisco is moving on - and the Brandon Aiyuk era is officially over.