Kyle Shanahan doesn’t hold back on Brandon Aiyuk’s situation with the 49ers: “It’s something I’ve never seen in 22 years of coaching”

The breakup between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has officially moved from tense to baffling, and head coach Kyle Shanahan isn’t hiding just how unusual the situation has become.

Injuries, silence, and a relationship that unraveled

Speaking to reporters this week, Shanahan revealed that communication with Aiyuk has completely stopped, describing a scenario unlike anything he’s experienced in more than two decades of coaching.

“I would say the last time it stopped for me was when I tried to get a hold of him and couldn’t,” Shanahan said. “Tried a couple more times and couldn’t. And that matched everyone else who tried to get a hold of him and couldn’t. There’s not much of an explanation because it’s hard for us and anyone else to understand. That’s why it’s something I’ve never seen in 22 years of coaching.”

The disconnect is particularly striking given Aiyuk’s importance to the 49ers’ offense just two seasons ago. The former first-round pick emerged as one of the league’s most complete receivers, earning second-team All-Pro honors in 2023 after posting 1,342 receiving yards and helping San Francisco reach the Super Bowl.

In the summer of 2024, the team rewarded that production with a four-year, $120 million contract extension, a deal that, at the time, signaled Aiyuk as a cornerstone of the offense moving forward. Less than two years later, that relationship appears effectively over.

Aiyuk’s 2024 season ended abruptly when he tore his ACL and MCL in a Week 7 loss to the Chiefs. He never returned to the field and spent the entire 2025 season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

Somewhere along the way, communication between Aiyuk and the organization deteriorated. By November 2025, the 49ers voided the guaranteed money in his contract, citing missed meetings and a lack of participation in team activities, a move that strongly suggested the relationship was already fractured beyond repair. General manager John Lynch later admitted he wasn’t sure what caused the fallout.

“I wish I knew,” Lynch said. “I can’t help you there.”

Shanahan’s comments now paint a clearer picture of just how abruptly things stopped. What makes the situation so unusual is not just the lack of resolution, but the lack of dialogue. Shanahan emphasized that the team tried repeatedly to understand what was happening, and simply couldn’t.

“It’s confusing, because it’s confusing for all of us,” Shanahan said. “Eventually you understand that it’s not going to change and you got to move on with your football team, which is always the most important thing.”

That mindset appears to be where the 49ers are now. Lynch recently acknowledged that it’s “safe to say” Aiyuk has played his last snap for the franchise, and the front office has already begun exploring ways to reshape the wide receiver room heading into the offseason.

For the 49ers, the focus now turns to moving forward without a player who was set to become a long-term centerpiece. Lynch has made it clear the team is open to trades or other roster moves to fill the void.

As for Aiyuk, his future is far less certain. He’s coming off a lost season due to injury, a voided contract, and an unexplained separation from one of the NFL’s most stable organizations, all factors that will be considered when his next opportunity arrives.

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