49ers plan to release wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk

As expected, the 49ers are expected to release wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, perhaps as soon as Wednesday.

The club had held out hope that a team would trade for him before the start of the new league year on Wednesday.

The 49ers might part ways with receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) as soon as Wednesday. (Photo by Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post) Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

But with no one willing to assume his contract, which includes $27 million in guaranteed salary in 2026, the 49ers will release him outright.

To mitigate the cap implications, the 49ers are expected to designate the release as a post-June 1 transaction.

By doing so, the 49ers will spread the cap hit over multiple years rather than in one lump sum of $34,572,843 this season.

One team to keep an eye on when Aiyuk hits the open market is the Commanders, whose general manager, Adam Peters, was in the 49ers’ front office when they drafted Aiyuk.