San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will eventually be separated from the team, but emphasized there’s no specific timeline for his departure.
Speaking to reporters Monday during the NFL league meetings in Phoenix, Shanahan addressed questions about when the organization might cut Aiyuk from the roster. “I don’t have a date,” Shanahan stated. “We’re in no rush to do that.”
The 28-year-old receiver signed a lucrative four-year, $120 million deal in August 2024, but his guaranteed money for 2026 was eliminated after he failed to report to the team facility for rehabilitation following knee injuries. Aiyuk suffered torn ACL and MCL injuries to his right knee during Week 7 of the 2024 season.
The situation represents a dramatic downturn for Aiyuk, who posted impressive numbers in 2023 with a team-leading 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Throughout his five-year NFL career, the former first-round draft selection has recorded 294 receptions for 4,305 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Shanahan reflected on the unusual nature of the contract situation in November, saying: “I’ve been coaching over 20 years and I’ve never been in a situation where a contract’s been voided. It takes a lot of things to get a contract voided. Never dealt with that.”
General Manager John Lynch previously announced in February that Aiyuk would remain on the roster until at least March 11, when the new league year begins.
Rather than simply releasing the receiver, Shanahan expressed optimism about potentially acquiring compensation through a trade. Aiyuk hasn’t appeared in a game since October 2024.
“Eventually, it will resolve itself,” Shanahan commented. “Hopefully, we get something for it.”
With both Aiyuk’s departure looming and 2025 leading receiver Jauan Jennings expected to leave via free agency, San Francisco has already begun reshaping its receiving corps by signing veteran Mike Evans from Tampa Bay and multi-team player Christian Kirk.
Lynch offered praise for the departing Jennings, a 2020 seventh-round selection who compiled 210 catches for 2,581 yards and 22 touchdowns across 75 games with the franchise.
“He’ll find a good home, and Jauan will go play great football for someone,” Lynch told The Athletic. “I can’t say enough for what that guy did; when that guy stepped between the lines, man, he was a presence, and they had to deal with him, and he won us a lot of games.”
