Where is Brandon Aiyuk? Why 49ers WR may have played final game in San Francisco uniform

The San Francisco 49ers have dealt with much injury adversity this season, but the situation regarding Brandon Aiyuk is the most notable.

Aiyuk was set to start the first year of a four-year contract extension with the 49ers this season, but Aiyuk never made his way to the field. Instead, the relationship between he and the 49ers permanently cracked, which will almost certainly lead to the two sides separating in the Spring.

At one point, Aiyuk was the team's best wide receiver and a key cog in the explosive San Francisco offense. Now, Aiyuk is more of an afterthought while the 49ers probably regret giving him an extension.

Here's a breakdown of the situation between Aiyuk and 49ers.

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Where is Brandon Aiyuk?

Brandon Aiyuk is away from the 49ers as the two sides appear headed towards a permanent divorce. Aiyuk began the season injured, but that devolved over time to a rift with San Francisco, resulting in him not playing a game for the 49ers this year while the team prepared to move on from him in the offseason.

What happened to Brandon Aiyuk?

In October of 2024, Aiyuk suffered a torn ACL and MCL in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs, ending his season early. After getting surgery, the wide receiver spent the offseason rehabbing and began 2025 training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list.

The 49ers expected Aiyuk to be available when he got healthy, but he reportedly remained distant as he rehabbed. San Francisco never activated him off the PUP list as he never seemed to make an effort to return to team activities.

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Brandon Aiyuk timeline of drama

Spring-Summer, 2024: With Aiyuk set to play on a fifth-year rookie option, the wide receiver stayed away from team activities and held-in at training camp until the 49ers gave him a new deal.

August, 2024: After drawn-out negotiations with the 49ers, which included the team almost trading him to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million with team.

October, 2024: Aiyuk suffered a season-ending knee injury, cutting his 2024 season short at just seven games.

July, 2025: The 49ers placed Aiyuk on the PUP list as the wide receiver recovered from a torn ACL and MCL.

November, 2025: The Athletic reported that the 49ers voided guarantees in Aiyuk's contract after Aiyuk didn't attend meetings and participate in team activities in the previous months. Aiyuk told the NFLPA that he didn't want to fight San Francisco over the money.

According to Kyle Shanahan, it was the first time he remembers voiding a player's guarantees.

December, 2025: Shanahan told the media that he hadn't seen Aiyuk "in forever" as the wide receiver remained away from the team and on the PUP list.

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Brandon Aiyuk contract

After months of negotiating, Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million extension with the 49ers in the Summer of 2024. The deal began in 2025, so Aiyuk currently has three years left on his contract at an average annual salary of $30 million. 

Based on his original contract, for the 49ers to move on from Aiyuk in the offseason, they will have to take on a dead cap of nearly $30 million. San Francisco can either take on the entire dead cap in 2026, or split that into an $8 million dead cap hit in 2026 and a $21 million dead cap hit in 2027.

However, during training camp, the 49ers had Aiyuk's guaranteed voided, allowing them to recoup the majority of his contract if they release him.

MORE: Revisiting 49ers injury history timeline in recent years