If there were any chance at reconciliation between the 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk before today, it’s likely gone now. Today, San Francisco placed the former first-round pick on the reserve/left squad list, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports. As a result, he will be ineligible to play for the remainder of the season, making an offseason departure all the more likely. 
Aiyuk hasn’t played since tearing his right ACL, MCL, and meniscus in Week 7 of 2024. The injury came a couple of months after he signed a four-year, $120MM extension with the 49ers. The relationship between the two sides has fallen apart since then.
[RELATED: Aiyuk On Commanders’ Radar?]
Aiyuk didn’t attend offseason appointments to rehab his knee in the offseason, leading the 49ers to void his 2026 guarantees last July. And while Aiyuk had a 50-day window to file a grievance through the NFLPA, he didn’t take any action during that span. He lost out on over $26MM as a result.
Still recovering from last year’s injury, Aiyuk spent the season on the reserve/PUP list before today. Earlier this month, general manager John Lynch expressed hope that the team would open Aiyuk’s practice window at some point soon. Doing so would have given the playoff-contending 49ers 21 days to evaluate Aiyuk. That will not happen, though, and this will go down as a lost season for Aiyuk.
The placement on reserve/left squad list is a unique one, usually reserved for players who plan to retire or quit on their team. In addition to all of the money Aiyuk has already lost throughout this season-long saga, Jason Fitzgerald of Overthecap.com claims that the 49ers may be allowed to go after Aiyuk’s signing and option bonus money in the wake of how things have now played out.
There was already plenty of speculation that Aiyuk’s time in the Bay Area was coming to an end, but this all but confirms it. Whether through offseason trade or an outright release, it’s just hard to picture Aiyuk playing in red and gold again.
In addition to the transaction that effectively ended Aiyuk’s tenure in San Francisco, the 49ers also announced that linebacker Jalen Graham and defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez would serve as standard gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow’s game. This will be Graham’s third and final elevation of the season. If the team wants to see him play in another game this year, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Bye Felecia
Commanders Steelers, make some calls lol
For next season I’m guessing?
Yup
Steelers are rebuilding next year
I think its more likely they trade away Ramsey and Rodgers retires or leaves.
Aiyuk to Giants, Chargers or Patriots maybe.
Chargers are stacked I don’t see Harbaugh going for him. Deebo is on a one year. Aiyuk has history with peters the GM who drafted him and Jayden his friend and college teammate. Makes sense to me
I don’t know. A flop of this magnitude will make any potential suitor think twice- even if they have history. Oh, he’ll have an opportunity, but it’s gonna be a ‘prove it’ , incentive based deal with little guaranteed money.
One team already made the mistake of choosing Aiyuk over Deebo
Wouldn’t consider Chargers stacked. Keenan Allen is closer to retirement, I just don’t view Ladd as some top #1 wr, Johnstone still not consistent. RBs always getting injured. Can’t even name their TE.
Gadsen
You sure about that?
Stupid career move. Who would want him after he quit on helping this team go back to the SB? Is he frustrated over injuries that arent healing properly?
He got paid and stopped caring
Except they’re taking his money back. Does he have an agent or manager or anyone that gives a crap about him? Yikes.
How do you “take money back” that you haven’t given him? His guarantees were for NEXT YEAR and the guarantees required he follow stipulations that he didn’t follow. How do you “give a crap” about someone who doesn’t give a crap?
They voided future guarantees because he violated his contract so it did cost him about $30 million but he should at least recoup that in his next contract
He’s not recouping that anytime soon. He’s more than likely gonna have to prove himself on a incentive laden deal.
He had to agree to give the guarantees back and not file a claim. He could have still gotten his guarantees if he was going to meetings and staying around the team.
He’ll look good in a Patriots or Bills uniform next year as both teams need a WR1
Steelers commanders make more sense. Even jets
He isn’t a number 1.
Zero chance this guy will play for Vrabel
Apparently he got hit in the head one too many times…..great talent….
But, a little weak upstairs
Ive disliked him from the day he was drafted. So im bias…but based on the fact that he didn’t even file a grievance and lost 26m, shows he’s completely a head case. Glad he’s gone
Like guys who don’t wanna play and have hige salaries?
Im willing to send Samuel back!
Someday when he’s older, he’ll be kicking himself for passing up on $26 million. I’d bet he’ll file for bankruptcy within five years of retirement.
Not sure if teams around the league consider him radioactive, but with this stunt, coupled with the 2024 contract drama, he’s glowing.
The Steelers dodged a bullet when Aiyuk decided to stay with the 49ers in 2024.
This guy’s career is over, right? He’s not so special a player that another team dares take a chance on him, is he?
He’ll get another chance just based on talent alone, but he won’t get near that $30 million a year mark he hit before the injury. Somebody will roll the dice & he’ll get $8-10 million for one year, but it’ll be somewhere between June & August when he actually signs.
It’s tough to figure why another team would sign him for big money, but it’s very possible a team will give him a chance on him on a one-year “prove it” deal for a fraction of what he had been making. It only takes one.
The only way this possibly makes sense is there is something weird going on with the 49ers medical staff. They do seem to be consistently one of the most injured team year after year. That’s the only way this makes sense is he’s getting outside medical opinions that the in house staff is not looking out for what is best for him and he’s forcing his way out. Otherwise this seems like legitimately lighting money on fire.
Maybe. Don’t know enough about the internal dynamics there.
It’s my understanding from people who should know, the 49ers have one of the national football leagues most consistently bad medical staffs . But who can say that is the primary cause of this ongoing situation by the Bay. Hopefully Aiyuk gets healthy and finds another opportunity to show his talent.
I find it amusing that most everyone assumes there must be something wrong with a guy who decides life can be about more than just football.
Life can be about more than football but when it’s your profession and you’re being paid millions to do it, people are going look at you that way when you don’t show up or production slides. That’s not all that unreasonable
I cannot fathom why anyone would be excited about signing this guy to their squad? He quits on his team, is injury prone as hell and obviously ain’t too smart by leaving $26M on the table. This dude seems like a clubhouse cancer and I wouldn’t want him anywhere near my squad….
He has been wanting to play with Jayden Daniels since he was drafted. That seems to be the likely place and they have 9er GM guy that knows him.