49ers Owner Hints That Brandon Aiyuk Could Stick With Team

Back in January, 49ers GM John Lynch made it clear that Brandon Aiyuk had played his final snap for the franchise. However, the team’s owner seems to be walking back those statements.

While speaking with reporters today, Jed York acknowledged that the saga could take several different routes, including one that sees Aiyuk sticking with the 49ers in 2026.

“I think anything’s possible, right?” York said (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner). “We want to make sure that we have as talented of a roster as possible. First and foremost, he needs to get healthy and be able to perform. I think once that happens, he’s a really, really good football player.”

Aiyuk, of course, once showed off his talent in San Francisco, including 2022 and 2023 campaigns where he hauled in 153 total catches for 2,357 yards and 15 touchdowns. Those performances earned him a four-year, $120MM extension with the organization, but his subsequent 2024 campaign ended with only seven appearances after the WR suffered a torn ACL and MCL.

He landed on PUP to begin the 2025 campaign, and there was initial optimism that he’d make a late-season return to the lineup. Instead, Aiyuk was described as “extremely distant” during his rehab, leading to the 49ers making the drastic decision to void the remaining guarantees on his contract. Lynch later declared the end of Aiyuk’s tenure in San Francisco, and while the front office was hoping to make a trade, a release seemed like the likeliest path. The Commanders seemed like a logical landing spot considering the presence of Aiyuk’s former college QB, Jayden Daniels.

While the team did void the remaining guarantees on the player’s contract, there remains a crucial early-September option bonus. The WR is due a nearly $25MM bonus that, if picked up, would be prorated through 2030. If it isn’t exercised, then it would be owed all at once. As Wagoner notes, that would drive Aiyuk’s 2026 price to an untenable $26MM. The 49ers surely wouldn’t commit to that kind of meaning, and considering the wideout’s apparent issues with the organization, it seems unlikely he’d rework his deal. In other words, a divorce still seems like the likeliest path, regardless of York’s comments.

Either way, it doesn’t sound like this ordeal would somehow extend beyond September. While speaking with reporters today, Lynch still seems committed to getting rid of his former star WR.

“I don’t have a date for it, but I know eventually it’ll resolve itself,” Shanahan said. “Hopefully, we could get something for [him]. And I know we’re in no rush to do that. You’ve got to do what’s right for the Niners, and you’re not trying to hook up any other team as fast as you possibly can. Hopefully, we can get something for that, and it’ll take care of itself.”