The San Francisco 49ers, unable to keep tabs on recovering Brandon Aiyuk for months, were forced to place the wide receiver on the rarely used reserve/left squad list. The designation is typically applied to players who quit or step away. It officially ends Aiyuk's season after the team clung to hope that he would return after suffering ACL and MCL injuries in October 2024.
The developments further underscore the widening separation between player and team.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan recently confirmed Aiyuk's prolonged absence.
"We haven't seen him forever ... I mean, I haven't seen him in a month. And same with our team," Shanahan said earlier this month.
While Aiyuk remains in the Bay Area—evidenced by a recent viral video showing him driving past Levi's Stadium at unsafe speeds—he has not reported to the facility. The 49ers' decision in July to void his guaranteed 2026 salary signaled that a breakup may be on the horizon.
This week, wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, who rejoined the 49ers earlier this season, was asked on the Speakeasy podcast with Emmanuel Acho and LeSean McCoy whether anyone in the building has seen Aiyuk in the past two months.
"Yeah, we ain't seen him," Bourne said. "We all seen him the car speeding."
Bourne and Aiyuk overlapped during the 2020 season, Aiyuk's rookie year, and remained close. Bourne says he briefly crossed paths with Aiyuk when he first returned to the team, but the receiver soon stopped appearing at the facility.
"And so, when I came back, I saw him a little bit," Bourne shared. "When I first got in the building—I missed Week 1—and I saw him a little bit, so I didn't really know what was going on. I was just pouring into him like, 'Hey man, how you doing?' Seeing him in the sauna sometimes, rehabbing.
"And then, all the things happened. And so, he's kind of MIA too within the building, so it's been tough."
Bourne added that he's concerned for Aiyuk's well-being and hopes he finds clarity while away from the team.
"I've been praying for him because I know how tough it is when you're chasing certain things, and what you gain," Bourne said. "So, it's concerning. It's very concerning. So, all I can really do is pray for him."