It appears that Brandon Aiyuk's San Francisco 49ers teammates are coming to terms with the likelihood that the veteran wide receiver won't return this season. Following recent developments, speculation has grown that Aiyuk may have even played his final snap in red and gold.

Aiyuk continues to recover from ACL and MCL injuries sustained last season, and the 49ers have yet to medically clear him to open his practice window. With just four regular-season games remaining, the opportunities for a return are rapidly diminishing.


San Francisco also voided Aiyuk's guaranteed money for 2026. Reports suggest that the receiver did not contest the decision, indicating that both sides may be ready to move on. Even tight end George Kittle acknowledges that the odds of Aiyuk's return—at least for this season—are incredibly low.

"At this point, it doesn't seem like he's coming back," Kittle said on Thursday. "I try my best not to even think about it because I love Brandon. He's one of my favorite teammates I've played with. We have a lot of moments together, from his rookie year, every year we played together, we have a ton of memories together. That's the Brandon I remember, and if I think about I wish he'd be here and stuff like that, it kind of just makes me sad, so I just kind of push it to the side.

"I've got to admit, we've got to make do with what we've got in the locker room, and the guys that are here want to be here. I don't know what that relationship is like right now, and it is what it is. So, I just got to focus on this team. I wish I could focus on that, but I just can't."

For quarterback Brock Purdy, losing Aiyuk would mean continuing to move forward without one of his favorite, and historically, most reliable receiving targets.

"Aiyuk, he's a baller, he makes plays," Purdy said. "In man-to-man matchups, he does a great job of creating separation, and he's an explosive player. You get the ball in his hands, and he can go get YAC (yards after catch) and bring juice to the offense when he is in and run-blocking.


"Aiyuk has so many clips of getting in and blocking linebackers and safeties and corners and running downfield with a running back and blocking guys. He did it all at receiver. He did a great job with that."

While Purdy would love to have Aiyuk on the field as the 49ers push for a playoff spot, he refrains from speculating about the seemingly deteriorating relationship between the receiver and the team.

"I've said in the past, all the things off the field, that's not my place to say anything," Purdy said. "All I can say is I'd love to play with him, and in the past, we've had such great times together. And so, that's all I can really say about it."

Kittle also highlighted what makes Aiyuk a unique weapon in the 49ers' offense, and why the receiver has been missed.

"Aiyuk is an absolute freak of nature, I think, is the number one thing," Kittle said. "He's a guy who can run 22 miles an hour, and then stop on a dime, and then jump 40 inches with a freakishly long wingspan and catch any ball you throw to him. That by itself puts him in a class of his own. That's why you paid him $30 million [per year].


"And then, if you don't even look at the receiving stuff, what he does in the run game, too, how he hits people, how he wants to hit people. And you put him and [WR] Jauan [Jennings] on the field together, and it's like you have two bullies out there at the wide receiver position. When you have wide receivers that want to block downfield, that's when your run game gets really, really good.

"Just like the mindset he had when he was playing for us was elite. No one can mess with him. He's going to make every play that he has an opportunity to make. And then, he just had that mindset like he was better than everybody else on the field, which you have to be if you want to be an elite player. And so, he's everything you want in an NFL football player, just a freak of nature, and made all the plays you want him to make."



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