Many NFL stars are moving to different teams ahead of the 2026 season, except for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. A.J. Brown was traded to the New England Patriots, Myles Garrett was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, while Kyler Murray signed with the Minnesota Vikings — but Aiyuk is stuck in Santa Clara.
49ers Are ‘Wasting Time’ With Brandon Aiyuk Stalemate
Aiyuk has been seeking a new home for a long time now. While he’s been a productive component of the Niners’ offense, he seems stuck in no man’s land: he wants out of San Francisco, but no team wants to trade for him, as they expect the 49ers to eventually release him.
The wideout has reached a point where he just wants to be let go by the franchise; however, the franchise isn’t budging, seemingly keeping him hostage. Super Bowl champion running back LeSean McCoy weighed in on the situation on “Speakeasy.”
“I feel bad for him because he’s stuck,” he said. “All the leverage is for the team. You have a deal. You have a contract. You have to abide by that contract, and you can’t leave. And on the other end, it’s like, ‘Yo, if you guys don’t feel like I’m this player, let me go.'”
“I think the Niners are a really good organization, so hear what I’m saying, if the brother doesn’t want to play for y’all, and now you’re looking for a wide receiver to go with Mike Evans, why don’t you just trade and let him go?” McCoy added. “Because if not, he’s gonna have this episode every single year. That don’t make no sense. I think put the egos aside, work something out, and get moving.”
Head coach Kyle Shanahan would like to pick up the pace as preseason preparations progress, but it will be hard with uncertainty around Aiyuk.
The team already has a solid cast of receivers, featuring veteran Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall, Christian Kirk, tight end George Kittle, and more. So it only logically makes sense for the front office to move on from Aiyuk.
The Niners are risking being inefficient while letting the situation with Aiyuk drag on. The parties involved haven’t been on good terms for a while now, making a split the only logical next step.
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“Because the only thing that happens is, the Niners are not getting better without him because he’s a really good player,” McCoy added. “And he’s not getting better because he’s not with a team, no offense, he’s not training with a team. You’re just making videos, running around, just wasting time.”
Fans will be closely watching whether the wideout, who logged a 92.7 PFSN WR Impact score in 2023, finds a way out of the Bay Area ahead of the new season.
