The news is turning bleak for the San Francisco 49ers regarding injured star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
The sixth-year NFL veteran is currently recovering from a vicious injury sustained in Week 7 last season, where he tore his ACL, MCL, and PCL at the same time. With the recovery period for a normal ACL tear often taking up to one year, it’s not necessarily surprising or uncommon that Aiyuk would not be back to action yet. But the latest news suggests that when Aiyuk does return to the gridiron, it might not be in San Francisco.
Aiyuk recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for the 49ers in 2022 and 2023 before being sidelined with his injury midseason in 2024. And even though he signed a four-year, $120 million extension with the franchise just 15 months ago, Mike Silver and Dianna Russini of The Athletic are now reporting that the two parties are “headed toward a divorce.”
BREAKING: Fifteen months after signing a four-year, $120 million extension, Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers appear headed toward a divorce, sources tell me and @MikeSilver.
More on voided future guarantees, frustrations and what comes next: https://t.co/klV5YA17vapic.twitter.com/b7voXN8Njv
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) November 21, 2025
This news comes on the heels of Matt Barrows, who serves as a 49ers reporter for The Athletic, reporting that Aiyuk’s status has been a bit confusing in recent weeks. Barrows said that the 2023 second-team All-Pro selection has not been visible at practices or in team facilities over the past month and a half, unlike during training camp and at the beginning of the season.
“For a while there, we were seeing Brandon Aiyuk, and Brandon Aiyuk wanted to be seen. This was during training camp, at the start of the season, when he would run shadow routes while the wide receivers went through their individual drills. The last month and a half, I haven’t seen him, haven’t seen him at practice, haven’t seen him in the locker room. I understand that he’s doing his rehab work in the morning now, and then just kind of skedaddles. So, I don’t know, nobody knows,” Barrows said.
“The agent isn’t saying anything. Aiyuk isn’t around to say anything. To me, it’s a bit odd that he’s just, you just don’t see hide nor hair of him at all, after seeing him a lot early. And not just seeing him a lot early, but him going out of his way to make himself seen. I don’t know if there’s frustration. I don’t know what’s happening there, whether he thought he should have been activated by now, and now he’s pouting about it. I don’t know what’s happening. It is a bit odd.”
As of last week, it seemed that the franchise wanted to retain Aiyuk, as San Francisco’s general manager, John Lynch, told the media that the “intention is to get Brandon back.”
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Breaking: 49ers set to part ways with WR Brandon Aiyuk
