Career possibly over as 49ers put star player on reserve list
Brandon Aiyuk’s could well be over after being placed on the 49ers’ reserve list.
San Francisco’s 49ers have taken a decisive step that appears to spell the end of wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s 2025 season and likely his future with the team.
Over the weekend, reports emerged saying that the organisation placed Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list, a designation that effectively removes him from active participation and makes him ineligible to play this season.
This roster change follows weeks of uncertainty around Aiyuk’s status. The 27-year-old All-Pro has not been at the 49ers’ facility in Santa Clara for several weeks, and head coach Kyle Shanahan and others within the organisation had gradually tempered expectations that he would ever take the field this year.
RIP to the Brandon Aiyuk era 🪦 pic.twitter.com/kckuXjcPGH
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) December 13, 2025
“At this point, it doesn’t seem like he’s coming back”
Aiyuk’s season was already derailed before it began due to serious knee injuries suffered in late 2024. After undergoing surgery and spending training camp on the physically unable to perform list, he never played in 2025.
Now, by moving him to the reserve/left squad list, the 49ers have made it official that he won’t be returning this season.
Niners tight end George Kittle didn’t have many words of encouragement when asked about his teammate: “At this point, it doesn’t seem like he’s coming back,” Kittle admitted. “I try my best to not even think about it because I love Brandon. He’s one of my favourite 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 #49ers placed WR Brandon Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list, which officially ends his season… and almost certainly his 49ers career. pic.twitter.com/v8BGqBJLbM
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 13, 2025
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That breakdown in relations has followed a turbulent period in Aiyuk’s tenure with the franchise. After being selected in the first round in 2020, he established himself as one of the league’s more dynamic receivers, delivering a standout 2023 campaign.
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