Brandon Aiyuk is a Quitter! Pick #25, 2020 NFL Draft

Originally posted by frenchmov:
Maiocco said niners could potentially claw back $13-18m. Is that accurate?? That's wild if true. I had thought it'd be $5m or so of his signing bonus.

$18m is a chunk. I wonder if Aiyuk understands the ramifications (related to $$ he has already received) of doing the things he has done.

If we claw back that type of bread he will

Originally posted by Pillbusta:

Originally posted by frenchmov:
Maiocco said niners could potentially claw back $13-18m. Is that accurate?? That's wild if true. I had thought it'd be $5m or so of his signing bonus.

$18m is a chunk. I wonder if Aiyuk understands the ramifications (related to $$ he has already received) of doing the things he has done.

If we claw back that type of bread he will

No way B.A has $18 million liquid.

The niners aren't going after the money for the cap space. They're doing it on behalf of all the owners out there-think about it. All of the 1500 NFL players will be following closely this teachable moment. The team treats their players with respect-no argument as players want to come here. It sets up a situation where every wannabe free agent has to choose sides-the line is then drawn. The most they can say on behalf of Brandon is that the situation is 'unfortunate'. It isn't. My suggestion: when he shows up they tell him to report on Sept. 1 when his $26 million is guaranteed. Then they suspend him for the 4 weeks allowed. When the 4 weeks is up it's adios. Just make sure all the security measures I've brought up are in place.

Originally posted by frenchmov:
Maiocco said niners could potentially claw back $13-18m. Is that accurate?? That's wild if true. I had thought it'd be $5m or so of his signing bonus.

$18m is a chunk. I wonder if Aiyuk understands the ramifications (related to $$ he has already received) of doing the things he has done.

I believe this will only be the case if he remains on the left-squad/reserve list for each of the final 3 years of his contract. As it stands now, they can recoup 25 percent of his prorated bonus amount from last season. The CBA defines what teams can recoup in terms of salary forfeiture and it's different depending on when the breach (or placement on the left squad list) happens. If he were to remain on the left squad list going forward, the 49ers would be able to recoup the full prorated bonus amounts in each season he is on the list for the remainder of his contract:

https://overthecap.com/49ers-place-aiyuk-on-left-squad-list

Originally posted by SmokeyJoe:
I believe this will only be the case if he remains on the left-squad/reserve list for each of the final 3 years of his contract. As it stands now, they can recoup 25 percent of his prorated bonus amount from last season. The CBA defines what teams can recoup in terms of salary forfeiture and it's different depending on when the breach (or placement on the left squad list) happens. If he were to remain on the left squad list going forward, the 49ers would be able to recoup the full prorated bonus amounts in each season he is on the list for the remainder of his contract:

https://overthecap.com/49ers-place-aiyuk-on-left-squad-list

Ah, I figured that sounded high. That's damn near his entire signing bonus

I wonder if going forward, teams will enact an "Aiyuk rule" for players who sign a contract and pull this clownish crap.

Originally posted by Niner75:
I wonder if going forward, teams will enact an "Aiyuk rule" for players who sign a contract and pull this clownish crap.

The NFL does need to do something so this never happens again. Sign a contract, then regret it and just do everything to be released. The team then has to eat all the dead money and the player is free to sign where ever he wants. Only one side is punished. T

here should be a clause if a player intentionally tries to get out of his contract he then goes into a waiver wire and the team that picks him up must give a draft pick to the other team and the value of that draft pick is based on the value of the contract the player had. If no one is willing to then give a draft pick that player must sit out a year or until a team is willing to pay that draft compensation to pick him up. At the start of FA they go back into that waiver system again, but at one round less value. Repeat until some team pays the draft pick or the number of years on the contract have passed.

Originally posted by Niner75:
I wonder if going forward, teams will enact an "Aiyuk rule" for players who sign a contract and pull this clownish crap.

There are rules in place for everything that has happened here already.

- Miss meetings/rehab assignments/whatever it was that Aiyuk did back in July '25 - lose future guarantees.
- Leave the team completely in November '25 - get placed on the left-squad/reserve list where the 49ers retain his rights while his contract tolls and opens himself up to salary forfeitures.

And outside of the available remedies for the 49ers, if Aiyuk can't get himself together emotionally he's going to burn whatever interest other teams may have in signing him.

Originally posted by Hangman_52:
The NFL does need to do something so this never happens again. Sign a contract, then regret it and just do everything to be released. The team then has to eat all the dead money and the player is free to sign where ever he wants. Only one side is punished. T

here should be a clause if a player intentionally tries to get out of his contract he then goes into a waiver wire and the team that picks him up must give a draft pick to the other team and the value of that draft pick is based on the value of the contract the player had. If no one is willing to then give a draft pick that player must sit out a year or until a team is willing to pay that draft compensation to pick him up. At the start of FA they go back into that waiver system again, but at one round less value. Repeat until some team pays the draft pick or the number of years on the contract have passed.

This is just not reality. The 49ers are not being punished by taking on dead cap charges. They have to account for the cash they paid Aiyuk which was not reflected on the cap in either '24 or '25. The 49ers do not get to have their cake and eat it too.

If you have a problem with the dead cap charges, your issue is how the 49ers structured this contract.

Cannot wait for TC to start. This BA thing is exhausting and a very bad reality show. I don't see this ending well and unless BA is really good at investing $$ he is probably going to be broke and basically blackballed by the NFL. Feel sorry for his family but he made the bed soooooooo…….. sad JMHO

Originally posted by Pillbusta:

Originally posted by Happs:
The Niners can't even release Aiyuk right now because he's on the Reserve/Left Squad list. Before the team can do anything, he has to apply for reinstatement and actually get reinstated by the league. Until then, he's sitting in NFL limbo.

What's funny is that this appears to be entirely self-inflicted. Back in November 2025, Aiyuk stopped communicating with agent Ryan Williams and apparently assumed that was the same thing as firing him. The NFLPA, however, requires paperwork, not vibes. Then on June 26, 2026, he posted a video claiming he hadn't had an agent since November, only for reporters to check the NFLPA database and discover Williams was still officially listed as his representative. The next day, Aiyuk finally filed the Standard Representation Agreement termination paperwork, making the firing official. So after spending eight months believing he had no agent, he learned he had, in fact, been represented the entire time—a level of attention to detail that's hard to reconcile with someone calling other people stupid.

Which brings us to the next issue: if he just officially fired his agent this weekend, who's handling his reinstatement process now? The Niners certainly can't do it for him.

The irony is pretty rich. Aiyuk posts a video calling the Niners stupid, while simultaneously revealing that he didn't understand one of the most basic administrative requirements of NFL representation. Meanwhile, the Niners are simply following league rules. They can't move on from him until he gets reinstated, and they're also positioned to recoup more than $18 million in bonus money already paid, which can eventually be credited back to the salary cap once recovered.

At this point, the Niners look less like the dysfunctional party and more like the organization watching someone lock himself out of his own house and then blame the locksmith. What started as a dispute with the team has turned into a masterclass in how not to manage your career. The Niners didn't put him in limbo—he got there all by himself. What an absolute moron!

Damn! Man you have nailed it!

He didn't

49ers can cut/waive/release whatever you want to call it at anytime

2nd, BA can't bypass the 49ers disciplinary actions against him to get reinstated.

Originally posted by Pillbusta:

Originally posted by frenchmov:
Maiocco said niners could potentially claw back $13-18m. Is that accurate?? That's wild if true. I had thought it'd be $5m or so of his signing bonus.

$18m is a chunk. I wonder if Aiyuk understands the ramifications (related to $$ he has already received) of doing the things he has done.

If we claw back that type of bread he will

I think that's what will happen. I think the 49ers and league are going to come down hard on him, make an example. I think he's played his last nfl snap. we will see.

idk why fans are so upset by him being on the team, i personally couldn't care less. I dont wish ill on the guy but he made his bed..

Originally posted by 49AllTheTime:
He didn't

49ers can cut/waive/release whatever you want to call it at anytime

2nd, BA can't bypass the 49ers disciplinary actions against him to get reinstated.

I think this has been unclear for a lot of people because it's hard to find the rule, and most journalists seem to be explaining this from a practical standpoint ie - what the 49ers will do, instead of what they can and can't do.

Would be pretty nonsensical to not allow the 49ers to cut him at any point.

I hope the Niners hold on to him for as long as possible before being forced to pay him anything more than they already owe now. They shouldn't do him any favors and if anything they should actively try to make his situation as miserable as possible within the rules and salary ramifications.

He's a douche bag and deserves the belt!

Originally posted by Howlett49:
I hope the Niners hold on to him for as long as possible before being forced to pay him anything more than they already owe now. They shouldn't do him any favors and if anything they should actively try to make his situation as miserable as possible within the rules and salary ramifications.

He's a douche bag and deserves the belt!

Maybe they will eventually just decide to cut him but it makes sense that they will hold him as long as possible and test what Aiyuk said about refusing to deal with the 49ers and waiting it out. It's not petty either, it's simply about money.