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Brandon Aiyuk is still out for the San Francisco 49ers after a severe right knee injury he suffered in October 2024, and with only six regular-season games left, a return this year looks doubtful.

His name has surfaced again, not because he is close to returning to the field, but because of his contract situation, which has raised questions about whether the two sides may eventually split.

According to The Athletic’s November 21 report , the 49ers removed the guaranteed money from Aiyuk’s 2026 contract during training camp after he failed to meet specific conditions. That decision wiped out an option bonus worth $24.935 million that had been scheduled to become guaranteed on April 1 of this year.

In a December 3 appearance on KNBR , former 49ers quarterback Steve Young shared his thoughts on Aiyuk’s future in the Bay Area and whether he’ll return this season.

“It feels like it’s up to Brandon,” Young said. “It feels like he’s decided that it’s broken and has moved on. But I think football has an emotional game, and people, relationships mend, and people change their ways. And they see a new potential where they saw no potential before. I might be wrong that it’s Brandon’s choice.”

Brandon Aiyuk’s Absence With the 49ers Is Felt

If Aiyuk decides he wants a fresh start somewhere else and doesn’t play this season, one player who will feel the impact of this decision is quarterback Brock Purdy. Young noted why the 49ers’ signal caller will face a significant setback if he doesn’t have his No. 1 wide receiver.

“I got to believe that with his talent and what he gave, particularly to Brock, because Brock’s such a fast processor, getting open in threatening positions,“ Young added.

“Now, Christian does it from all different places, but that’s not as quickly knifeing into the defense as Brandon can do from his spot. Brandon was that guy that was open quickly, deep on the fringes and outside where things could really cause defense’s grief, and it’s a huge loss.

“It’s terrible that this has happened the way it has. If he’s healthy and ready to go, I invite Brandon and you fix whatever’s wrong, bury whatever it is, and let’s go do this. But it feels like something might have broken, and that’s too bad.”

Kyle Shanahan Doesn’t Want Brandon Aiyuk to Exit 49ers

Even though the 49ers decided to void the player’s $24.935 million option bonus, Shanahan emphasized that he personally doesn’t want the team to move on from Aiyuk this upcoming offseason.

“What happened in July to me, in my opinion, doesn’t have anything to do with the future; that had to do with circumstances that were out of a coach’s hand,“ Shanahan said when speaking to the media on November 22 .

“When it comes to business matters, lawyers, contracts, and the future of this, I would love for BA to be here, get healthy, and get back to really helping us out and being a part of this team. We haven’t had that in a little bit, and I still hold out hope that he can get there, but he obviously hasn’t gotten there yet.”

Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. He previously covered the league for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has contributed as a freelance writer for The Sporting News. He also served as an editor for Athlon Sports and Heavy Sports focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo

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