Brandon Aiyuk 49ers standoff keeps former All-Pro away from camp
Brandon Aiyuk remains on the 49ers' left squad list as John Lynch says San Francisco is focused on players in camp.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
4 min read
Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers are still stuck in a standoff more than 600 days after the wide receiver last played an NFL game, according to CBS Sports.
San Francisco has reported to training camp for the 2026 season, but Aiyuk is absent and remains on the reserve/left squad list. General manager John Lynch gave little sign Saturday that a reunion is close.
“I'm personally, and we as an organization, are going to focus on the players who are here,” Lynch said, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “We wish him well, we wish his family well.”
What happened to Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers?
Aiyuk’s slide began after a star-making 2023 season. The 2020 first-round pick caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns that year, earning second-team All-Pro honors, according to CBS Sports.
ESPN’s receiver metrics ranked him as the NFL’s top pass catcher for that season, while Pro Football Focus graded him as the No. 2 wide receiver, CBS Sports reported.
Then came a messy contract year. Aiyuk sought a new deal before playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract. In March 2024, Lynch said publicly that the team wanted to keep him long term, but Aiyuk responded on Instagram with a blunt post about money, according to NBC Sports Bay Area.
In June 2024, ESPN reported that Aiyuk told Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels over FaceTime that the 49ers did not want him back. Aiyuk requested a trade in July and reported to camp while holding in, CBS Sports reported.
The 49ers reportedly had possible trade structures involving the Patriots and Browns, but Aiyuk did not agree to the contract terms those teams were offering, according to CBS Sports. In late August 2024, he signed a four-year, $120 million extension with San Francisco.
Why is Aiyuk still away from the NFL?
Aiyuk played only seven games after that extension. In Week 7 of the 2024 season against the Chiefs, he tore his ACL and MCL and suffered additional knee damage when his knee hyperextended on a hit, according to CBS Sports.
His return never settled into a clear timeline. In November 2025, The Athletic reported that the 49ers voided $27 million in 2026 salary guarantees because Aiyuk had failed to meet obligations in his contract.
San Francisco placed him on the reserve/left squad list in December. Coach Kyle Shanahan said he had not seen Aiyuk “in forever” and described him as “extremely distant,” according to NBC Sports Bay Area. Tight end George Kittle later expressed similar thoughts, CBS Sports reported.
The reserve/left squad list is an NFL roster designation for a player who leaves a team. Before Aiyuk can move on in football terms, he must apply for reinstatement and be reinstated, according to CBS Sports.
Aiyuk’s off-field situation has also turned louder. SFGate reported that he posted video of himself driving 104 mph in a 40-mph zone near the 49ers’ stadium, and NBC Sports reported that he later apologized. In June 2026, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office issued a warrant for his arrest on a misdemeanor speeding charge, according to CBS Sports.
Could Aiyuk end up with the Commanders?
Washington has been the team most often linked to Aiyuk this offseason, according to CBS Sports, with the Commanders lacking proven wide receivers behind Terry McLaurin. Aiyuk has also posted multiple social media messages pointing toward Washington, including one saying “Go Commanders” and another saying he would be a Commander soon, CBS Sports reported.
That path is blocked for now. CBS Sports reported that Aiyuk has also posted that he would not seek reinstatement with the 49ers or do business with them, which would keep him from clearing the procedural step needed to leave San Francisco.
Lynch said after the draft that the 49ers were open to trade calls and would consider a deal if an opportunity appeared. San Francisco also added Mike Evans and Christian Kirk in free agency and drafted De’Zhaun Stribling, according to CBS Sports.
Aiyuk has blamed his former agent, the 49ers and the NFLPA in social media posts, according to reports cited by CBS Sports. He officially fired his former agency in June, NBC Sports reported.
His talent is not the mystery. His health, his reinstatement status and his relationship with the 49ers are. Until those pieces change, the former All-Pro remains outside camp, outside the lineup and no closer to an NFL snap.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.