SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Although the San Francisco 49ers publicly expressed some hope that receiver Brandon Aiyuk would return this season, that optimism ran out Saturday when the team moved Aiyuk to the reserve/left team list.
That designation, which is generally used for players who intend either to retire or to temporarily step away from football, means Aiyuk is ineligible to play for the 49ers in 2025. Aiyuk, who has been recovering from a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus in his right knee, has not been seen around the facility in recent weeks, and his placement on the list suggests he hasn’t been around the team or participating in rehab sessions.
It also is likely the next step toward an offseason divorce between the Niners and Aiyuk. On Thursday, Niners tight end George Kittle hinted that Aiyuk wasn’t likely to be back.
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“At this point, it doesn’t seem like he’s coming back,” Kittle said. “I try my best to not even think about it because I love Brandon. He’s one of my favorite teammates I’ve played with. We have a lot of moments together from his rookie year, every year we’ve played together. That’s the Brandon I remember. So, if I think about the ‘I wish he’d be here,’ it kind of just makes me sad.”
The extent of the discord between the sides became public late last month when it was revealed that the Niners had voided roughly $27 million in guarantees Aiyuk had in his contract for 2026. That took place in the summer because Aiyuk missed team rehabilitation sessions for his injured right knee.
Before Saturday, Aiyuk had spent this season on the physically unable to perform list because of the knee injury, with the Niners hoping that somewhere along the way they could open his 21-day practice window and potentially get him back on the field.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said early in the season the hope was to get Aiyuk back practicing sometime around midseason.
As recently as early December, general manager John Lynch expressed some hope Aiyuk might practice but acknowledged it was increasingly a long shot.
“[Is it] realistic? I’m not sure,” Lynch told KNBR radio on Dec. 2. “Hopeful? Yeah. I think that’s where I’d leave that … We’re a better football team when Brandon is out there, but that’s probably what it is. Hope.”
After signing a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the Niners in August 2024 following contentious negotiations, Aiyuk injured his knee on Oct. 20, 2024. He had surgery the following month and has been working his way back since.
Now, the Niners and Aiyuk are likely to part ways this offseason with a decision still to be made on how that will happen.
Since the 49ers voided his future guarantees, they would take on a nearly $30 million dead-money cap charge if they released him in the offseason. They could also designate him a post-June 1 release to eat $13.325 million in dead money next year and the rest in 2027. The same numbers would apply if the Niners were able to trade Aiyuk.
