The Brandon Aiyuk chapter in San Francisco looks like it’s coming to a quiet, unceremonious close-and the 49ers aren’t exactly acting like they expect a plot twist.
Following the team’s Week 15 win, head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about the decision to officially end Aiyuk’s season. His answer? Blunt, almost indifferent.
“We haven’t seen him in forever,” Shanahan said. “That’s just the decision they make.
It’s been pretty simple for me. I haven’t seen him in a month, and same with our team, so it hasn’t been an issue at all.”
That’s not the tone of a coach holding out hope for a reunion. It’s the sound of a team that’s already moved on.
From the outside, there was always a sense this was heading toward a split. Public comments from Shanahan and GM John Lynch throughout the season were peppered with vague optimism-“We’re hopeful,” they’d say-but those words rang hollow. Now, with Aiyuk officially shut down, it’s clear the 49ers had emotionally and strategically moved past this situation long before the paperwork made it official.
And there’s more than just emotional distance here. According to Over the Cap, the 49ers could now attempt to recoup part of Aiyuk’s signing bonus and option money.
That’s a significant step-one that suggests this wasn’t just a football decision. It hints at a deeper breakdown between player and organization, one that may have involved pride, miscommunication, and possibly some ill-advised counsel along the way.
Shanahan didn’t sugarcoat things when asked if the team had enough depth at wide receiver to finish the season strong.
“We’ve been playing with our receiving group all year,” he said. “I really have been hoping he would come back all year.
But not one point was I really planning on it. That would’ve been a great bonus… but that was something I realized early on wasn’t going to come for a while.”
That’s a telling quote. Shanahan wanted Aiyuk back, but he didn’t expect it.
And that’s a big difference. It speaks to how the team prepared-mentally and tactically-to operate without one of its most dynamic offensive weapons.
And to their credit, the 49ers’ offense hasn’t missed a beat. Ricky Pearsall has stepped up in a big way, showing flashes of the route-running polish and toughness that made him a first-round pick.
George Kittle, as always, continues to be a Swiss Army knife-blocking like an extra lineman one play, then torching safeties down the seam the next. The passing game has evolved without Aiyuk, and while his absence certainly narrows the margin for error, it hasn’t derailed the team’s offensive rhythm.
So, what’s next for Aiyuk and the 49ers? That’s a question for the offseason.
For now, it looks like both sides have quietly turned the page. The 49ers are chasing a Super Bowl.
Aiyuk is… elsewhere, physically and otherwise. And until something changes, this might be the last time his name comes up in a meaningful way for this team.
At least for now.