The Brandon Aiyuk situation in San Francisco has gone from a contract gamble to a full-blown roster reshuffle - and now, with the 49ers voiding his guaranteed money, it’s clear the fallout is far from over.
Let’s back up. Aiyuk stopped showing up to the facility.
Communication with the team? Gone quiet.
And all of that came after the Niners had already watched a string of key contributors walk out the door in 2025 free agency. The team wasn’t just losing talent - it was losing flexibility.
And the root of it all? Aiyuk’s contract.
When the 49ers locked in Aiyuk with a $120 million extension, they were betting on his upside - and banking on their ability to manage the cap around him. But in a league where every dollar counts, that deal tightened the screws on a roster that was already feeling the squeeze. The timing of the extension, paired with the looming need to prepare for Brock Purdy’s next contract, meant tough decisions had to be made - and fast.
Here’s the reality: the 49ers didn’t just lose players. They lost pillars.
- Deebo Samuel was traded.
- Charvarius Ward, a top corner, is gone.
- Dre Greenlaw, the heartbeat of their linebacker corps, is out.
- Aaron Banks, a homegrown guard, left for a massive $77 million deal in Green Bay.
- Talanoa Hufanga, a Pro Bowl safety and emotional leader, is no longer in red and gold.
Four of those five were drafted and developed by the 49ers - the kind of core you want to reward, not replace. And while it’s fair to say not every departure was directly tied to Aiyuk’s deal, money clearly played a role. The team had to make choices, and those choices cost them depth, continuity, and experience.
Now, to be clear: this isn’t as simple as “no Aiyuk deal, no exodus.” Would the 49ers have matched Banks’ $77 million payday?
Maybe not. Would they have kept Hufanga if Malik Mustapha wasn’t waiting in the wings?
Maybe. Could they have worked something out with Jauan Jennings if Aiyuk wasn’t on the books?
That’s a conversation they never got to have.
That’s the real issue here - the loss of optionality.
The Aiyuk contract didn’t just strain the cap; it boxed the front office into a corner. Once that money was committed, the team’s flexibility evaporated.
And when Aiyuk stopped showing up, it only added salt to the wound. San Francisco will eventually recover the cap space from voiding his guarantees, but they won’t get back the players they lost.
There’s no rewind button for letting homegrown talent walk.
Could the 49ers have played the 2025 offseason differently without Aiyuk’s deal? Absolutely.
Maybe they keep Banks and the interior offensive line isn’t a 2026 priority. Maybe Hufanga stays, giving the defense another year of veteran leadership.
Maybe they structure the roster around a more balanced financial plan.
But that’s all hypothetical now. The reality is that Aiyuk’s contract shaped the offseason - and not in a good way.
Whether the front office had buyer’s remorse five minutes after signing the deal or not, the ripple effects were felt immediately. The team paid a premium for a player who, at least for now, isn’t even in the building.
So here’s the question: If you’re sitting in John Lynch’s chair, do you still make the Aiyuk deal, knowing what it cost? Or do you let him walk and use that $120 million to keep your core intact?
Either way, the 49ers made their choice. And now, they’re living with the consequences.