The San Francisco 49ers are having a ‘hard time’ locating Brandon Aiyuk amid their plan to trade him this offseason, according to reports.
Aiyuk, who didn’t play once for the 49ers in 2025, will not be returning to San Francisco after a $27million guarantee in his contract was voided due to his failure to participate in team meetings and other activities.
The 27-year-old wide receiver is in the middle of a four-year, $120m contract – $76m of which is guaranteed – but has not played since tearing his ACL, MCL and meniscus in an October 2024 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
It is widely expected that that game will go down as his last appearance for the Niners.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter, meanwhile, claims Aiyuk’s departure is taking longer than expected because San Francisco chiefs and a number of potential suitors are struggling to get in contact with him.
‘He hasn’t been in clear constant communication with the Niners, they’ve had a hard time getting hold of him,’ Schefter said during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
The 49ers are having a ‘hard time’ locating Brandon Aiyuk amid their plan to trade him
‘Other teams I think have attempted to reach out, they’ve had a hard time getting hold of him.
‘So it’s a situation where the 49ers feel like… Brandon Aiyuk I’m sure would love to be released so he can go and rejoin his college teammate Jayden Daniels in Washington, that’s a prevailing thought out there. But the Niners are like, “We don’t really care, we’ve got some time between now and camp opening and we’re not just gonna give him away unless we feel like we can get something back for him.”‘
The NFL insider also explained how Aiyuk’s huge contract, which includes a $24.935m option bonus, is deterring teams from seeking a trade for him despite San Francisco voiding his remaining guarantees after he failed to participate in mandatory rehab sessions for his knee.
Yet the Niners are still not giving up in their bid to offload him, with general manager John Lynch inviting offers for the unwanted wideout this week.
Aiyuk, who has not played for San Francisco since tearing his ACL, MCL and meniscus against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024 (pictured), is set to leave the team this offseason
‘We’re available. Give us a call,’ Lynch told reporters. ‘And like I said earlier, I think it’s the prudent thing to do.
‘He’s an extremely talented player. He’s been an extremely effective player in our league; situation didn’t work itself out here. That’s not to say that it can’t be rekindled somewhere else. And we’d be happy to do something with anyone if the opportunity presented itself.’
The 49ers put Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list back in December, with head coach Kyle Shanahan explaining: ‘We haven’t seen him in forever.
‘That’s the decision they make. It’s been pretty simple for me. I haven’t seen him in a month. It hasn’t been an issue with our team at all. We’ve been plugging away. No big deal. It’s something we’ve been used to for a while.’
