One of the more interesting storylines of the 2025 NFL Season was the relationship (or lack of one) between wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers.
After Kyle Shanahan’s comments about Aiyuk during the NFL League Meetings, one former 49er predicts that the team will make it difficult for the receiver to return to play.
Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers
Earlier in the week, Shanahan all but outright confirmed that the 49ers are prepared to move on and trade Aiyuk.
Earlier in the week, 49ers analyst David Lombardi quoted Shanahan, who said, “Eventually, it will resolve itself. Hopefully, we get something for it.”
That quote suggests he thinks the team is ready to move on from Aiyuk via a trade to an opposing team. Following the quote from Shanahan, former 49ers safety Donte Whitner had the following to say:
“He (Shanahan) said, ‘We expect to get something in return for ‘it’, like you’re not even a human. You’re like a creature… Brandon Aiyuk quit on the team. I understand why Kyle Shanahan feels the way that he feels. So when I’m sitting back and watching these meetings with the coaches, I’m not reading the letters. I’m looking at the verbiage.
I’m looking at what he actually means, ‘You f***d us over, Brandon, so now we’re gonna fk you over. We’re going to hold onto your rights for as long as possible to make it damn near impossible to play… It’s about proving you’re not more powerful than the league, and that’s what’s gonna happen.”
Despite Aiyuk not playing last season, the 49ers were still one of the best offenses in football according to PFSN’s NFL Offensive Impact Metric. In the metric, the 49ers ranked fourth in the league with an impact score of 85.2 and a letter grade of B. His absence definitely hurt, but the 49ers were still a more than capable offensive force.
The team drafted Aiyuk with the 25th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Arizona State, trading up from the 31st pick to select him.
During his first four seasons with the team (2020-2023), the receiver recorded 269 catches for 3,931 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns in 62 games.
In fact, for the 2023 season, he ranked as the fourth-best receiver with an impact score of 92.7 and a letter grade of A- in PFSN’s NFL Wide Receiver Impact Metric.
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Before the 2024 season, Aiyuk was extended to a four-year, $120 million deal. However, he suffered a significant knee injury seven games into the season and hasn’t played since.
After all the drama, Aiyuk will almost certainly never play a down for the 49ers again. The question is, how long will it take for a potential move to be made?
