The Final Act of the 49ers' Brandon Aiyuk Saga: Resolution

Both sides can drag this out; it may take a third party to resolve it

Jul 24, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk works out with his teammates during the second day of training camp. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Brandon Aiyuk referred to the Niners as “female dogs” in a recent Instagram post, hoping to goad the 49ers into cutting him. The team has no interest in giving Aiyuk what he wants, and the non-divorce continues.

What happens next?

There are rumors that Dallas may be interested in trading a 7th-round pick. However, Aiyuk could refuse to report and nullify the trade. He wants to go to Washington and has sacrificed money to set that up.

Meanwhile, the Commanders have no interest in trading what they can get for free. So as the Niners and Aiyuk continue to play this game of chicken, it can stretch out through August.

Aiyuk is due a roster bonus if he is on the team in September, but the Niners can put him on the did not report list. He can report trying to force them to cut him, but the Niners can then put Aiyuk on the non-football injury list. He can demand a physical, but the Niners can reject it. The 49ers have the roster tools that can prevent Aiyuk from playing until his contract runs out at the end of 2028, in essence ending his career.

Does someone step in?

If the Niners reject Aiyuk’s physical to put him on the NFI list, at that point I think outsiders intervene. That can be the NFLPA filing a grievance with the league, arguing the Niners have no intention of ever playing Aiyuk again and can’t be allowed to end his career. I think that argument is in the best interest of the player’s association and the league. It’s not a good look for the league to allow a team to hold a player’s career hostage.

Aiyuk and the team are both at fault in this situation, but acting to end a player’s career is too drastic a step that I don’t think the NFLPA or NFL will allow to continue.

If the players' association or the league refuses to get involved, then Aiyuk has two more options left. One, ask Washington to pay the Niners ransom and give a 7th for Aiyuk. Failing that, Aiyuk files a lawsuit against the Niners. At that point, the league will be more interested in working with the NFLPA to broker a solution.

Prediction

The NFLPA and the NFL get involved by late August-early September. Neither Aiyuk nor the Niners will cave in this increasingly petty and bitter standoff. The league either forces the Niners to cut Aiyuk and he signs with Washington, or they ask the Commanders to give up a 2028 7th to the Niners to end it, being mindful of the value teams are placing on the upcoming draft.

To draw a hard line against setting a precedent for players to force their way off teams, the league emphasizes that it is the Niners taking action to prevent a player from playing again with the intent to end his career that cannot be allowed.

Lessons learned

All this drama could have been avoided if Kyle Shanahan let Aiyuk be traded to Pittsburgh. They then could have used the 20th pick in that draft on Graham Barton and been set at center for a decade.

I think they have adjusted already in that the new player acquisitions at wide receiver aren’t rebels. Shanahan may well be suffering from diva fatigue at this point and added nice guys in Mike Evans and De’Zhaun Stribling. He purposefully moved away from what he’s experienced lately from Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and Jauan Jennings. Whether that leads to the necessary production, to be determined.