Aiyuk has likely taken his final snap with the 49ers. His relationship with the team deteriorated last year to the point that communication between the two sides ceased. San Francisco had hoped the receiver would return from the ACL and MCL injuries he suffered in 2024, but that never came to fruition.
The 49ers are widely expected to move on from Aiyuk, whether via trade or eventual release. Ideally, the team would prefer to find a trade partner and recoup some—any—value, particularly from a receiver-needy team. However, that scenario is complicated by the league's expectation that San Francisco could ultimately release the wideout.
"I don't have a date for it," Shanahan said of a potential timeline, via Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group, "but I know, eventually, it will resolve itself. Hopefully, we can get something for it. I know we're in no rush to do that. You've got to do what's right for the Niners.
"You're not trying to hook up some other team as fast as you possibly can. Hopefully, we can get something for that, and it will take care of itself."
Aiyuk has spent his entire six-year NFL career with San Francisco but did not play in 2025. Across five active seasons, he totaled 294 receptions for 4,305 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns, adding two scores on the ground.
The 49ers signed Aiyuk to a four-year, $120 million extension in August 2024—a deal that, in hindsight, was a massive misstep for the organization.
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