Brandon Aiyuk has not played for the San Francisco 49ers for over a year, and chances are that he’ll never do it again. The wide receiver is likely to split with the team after the 2025 season, with guarantees removed from his contract and a “divorce” likely to come up just two years after he signed a four-year, $120 million deal.
Aiyuk suffered a season-ending knee injury during an Oct. 20, 2024, game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He was placed on the PUP list during training camp and has not been activated since.
There was still a possibility of him playing for the 49ers in the later parts of the season, but it’s almost ruled out.
Why Is Brandon Aiyuk Not Playing Against the Carolina Panthers?
The wide receiver remains out of the 49ers’ active roster. Aiyuk needs to be officially activated to the roster before being eligible to play. The 49ers also have not activated the 21-day practice window that would allow him to return to the field and practice with his teammates before officially playing a game again.
Aiyuk was placed on the injured reserve following his injury. He finished the 2024 season with just 374 yards in 7 games following his $120M extension, and with the guarantees removed, he’s unlikely to add to his number.
What Happened in the Relationship Between Aiyuk and the 49ers?
The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini wrote that the 49ers have been frustrated with the wide receiver. He has “failed to attend meetings and declined to participate in 49ers team activities.”
As a result, the 49ers “responded by voiding the guaranteed money in his contract for 2026, asserting that the absences amounted to a failure to fulfill his contractual obligations.”
Kyle Shanahan spoke to reporters on Saturday and pointed out that “been coaching over 20 years and I’ve never been in a situation where a contract has been voided”. It’s a rare thing to see guarantees removed from the contract.
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The fact that Aiyuk also instructed the NFLPA not to file a grievance for the guarantees suggests that he wants no part of the franchise. The former first-round pick was part of a holdout while he negotiated a new deal, even asking for a trade at one point.
Although it seemed that the two sides had found common ground when an extension was signed, the return has been minimal. Even with Aiyuk out since the start of the season, the 49ers still rank No.8 in our PFSN Offense Impact Metric, proving that they are still among the best teams.
