49ers coach has his say on tense Brandon Aiyuk contract situation

Brandon Aiyuk looks set to leave the San Francisco 49ers after a major deterioration in the relationship between the two parties in recent months.

Aiyuk, now 27, has not played for the team since suffering an ACL tear in October 2024. He remains on the injury list and has not yet been activated for the 2025 season.

This week The Athletic reported that the 49ers have voided the guaranteed payments in Aiyuk’s contract, owing to disciplinary issues. The team claims that Aiyuk has failed to attend meetings and other team activities for months, releasing San Francisco from the contract.

The contract in question is a massive $120 million, four-year extension signed in 2024. The 49ers have now voided the 2026 guaranteed money in Aiyuk’s contract, allowing the team to save $27 million next season.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan explained the situation: “I know everyone got a lot of information [on November 21]; that was information that I found out in July and kind of dealt with it then.”

“And to me, the contract stuff and guarantees and things like that is really irrelevant to my relationship with the player and my relationship with our team and what we’re trying to do this year. I know I went through that stuff and talked to him a lot about it back in July.”

“But since July, it’s been all about this season and hoping he would get healthy, and he’s been working to get healthy, and I’ve been waiting for him to come back when he’s healthy.”

In less than 18 months, Aiyuk has gone from being a centerpiece for a championship-chasing San Francisco team, to an outcast on the way back from serious injury. At 27 there is still a lot of football to come from Aiyuk, provided that he can get himself back to full fitness and prove his worth outside of the 49ers.

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