John Lynch makes stance on Brandon Aiyuk’s 49ers future clear

Brandon Aiyuk’s days in the Bay Area appear over. 

49ers general manager John Lynch spoke about the star wide receiver during the team’s end-of-season press conference on Wednesday after a turbulent season for the 27-year-old. 

“I think it’s safe to say he’s played his last snap as a 49er,” Lynch said. “It’s unfortunate. It’s a situation that just went array … Sometimes it just doesn’t work out.”

Aiyuk, a first-round pick by the 49ers in 2020, starred for San Francisco during his first few years in the league, catching 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns as recently as 2023, but things have gone downhill since. 

Just 15 months after Aiyuk signed a four-year contract extension worth $120 million with the 49ers, the franchise opted to void his guaranteed money for 2026 after he allegedly failed to show up to meetings and rehab sessions while lacking communication with the team. 

Before signing that extension, the 49ers and Aiyuk clashed over his contract, with the wide receiver requesting a trade at one point during the 2024 offseason, before ending the rumors with a new deal.

Aiyuk, who hasn’t played since he underwent right knee surgery in the middle of the 2024 season, was placed on the 49ers’ reserve/left team list in mid-December, making him ineligible to return for the rest of the season. 

About a week after the 49ers ended his season, Aiyuk posted a video of himself on YouTube hitting speeds of over 100 mph while driving by Levi’s Stadium. 

He later apologized for the incident in a post to his channel. 

“Sorry yall,” Aiyuk wrote. “My car content won’t come with speeding anymore! Was Praying with my son tonight and wouldn’t want anybody else to miss out on an opportunity to do the same with their loved ones!”

Without their star receiver, the 49ers made it all the way to the divisional round, going 12-5 during the regular season, before being eliminated by NFC West rival Seahawks.