Brandon Aiyuk has officially waved the white flag in his contract dispute with the San Francisco 49ers, a move that all but guarantees his exit. The wide receiver has taken a final call about his $120 million contract despite signing an extension in 2024.

“The 49ers, sources say, responded by voiding the guaranteed money in Aiyuk’s contract for 2026, asserting that the absences amounted to a failure to fulfill his contractual obligations,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Michael Silver revealed. “Aiyuk, according to multiple league sources, told NFL Players Association representatives that he did not want to fight the move via an official grievance. That would clear the way for his expected release at season’s end.”

Instead of pushing back, Aiyuk chose not to contest the 49ers’ decision. The wide receiver effectively signaled that he is ready to let the situation run its course. In doing so, he has all but paved the way for his expected release at the end of the season.

Aiyuk suffered a season-ending knee injury in October 2024, which has kept him on the PUP list so far in the 2025 season. Although he was under contract through 2026, the 49ers voided his future guaranteed money after his unexcused absences, clearing the path for a likely release at season’s end.

With no clarity on his return, Brandon Aiyuk may have played his last game for the 49ers. According to The Athletic, Aiyuk was a no-show in various meetings and other team activities during his recovery, which prompted San Francisco to void his contract. But instead of fighting this decision, the 27-year-old was all on board to push for an exit.

By voiding Aiyuk’s future guarantees, San Francisco will recover a significant portion of the contract. This includes his 2026 option bonus worth $24.935 million as he would have earned a $1.215 million base salary, a $100,000 workout bonus, and roster bonuses of $750,000 per game.

Though this step provides the 49ers with some respite, missing an all-pro level talent who has 294 career catches for 4,305 yards and 25 receiving TDs would have a massive impact on their Super Bowl chances. Hence, the question arises of how things fell apart between Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers.

What went wrong between Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers?

It all started after the San Francisco 49ers lost in Super Bowl 2024, which concluded an incredible season for Brandon Aiyuk. Throughout this year, the 27-year-old put up stunning performances, which led to 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven TDs, and a second-team All-Pro appearance. But with Aiyuk’s apprehensions about playing for the $14.1 million he would have earned on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal, he started a holdout with his team.

Aiyuk stayed away from team activities until training camp and even refused to practice by citing a soreness in the neck, according to The Athletic. This emerged as the first crack in his relationship with head coach Kyle Shanahan, who wanted to trade Aiyuk as he emerged as a distraction. Further, frustration grew in the 49ers camp as the wide receiver declined trade scenarios with the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots. Then, in late August, things took another turn.

The 49ers finally pushed the situation to its breaking point, medically clearing Aiyuk for practice. When he refused to take the field the next day, San Francisco was ready to send him to the Steelers. But in a dramatic overnight turn, Aiyuk walked into Kyle Shanahan’s office the following morning and informed him that he would accept the team’s latest offer.

Eventually, Brandon Aiyuk signed his four-year, $120 million contract. Later on, he even admitted that the negotiation didn’t have to be this difficult.

“(The process was) a little bit more difficult than it needed to (be),” admitted Brandon.

Later, Aiyuk went on to have a mediocre start to the 2024-25 season. Playing through four games, he only had 24 receptions for 374 yards and recorded zero touchdowns before being involved in another flare-up with Kyle Shanahan.

Though he had a solid performance against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5, with 12 catches for 147 yards, he was soon ruled out of the season as he suffered his knee injury against the Chiefs two weeks later.

With Brandon Aiyuk’s time coming to an end in San Francisco, it will be interesting to see who the 49ers target as their next premier wide receiver for the future.