Brandon Aiyuk's time in San Francisco is officially over. And it ended long before anyone expected.
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San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch confirmed Wednesday that the organization plans to move on from Aiyuk this offseason, effectively closing the book on a tenure that unraveled quickly and publicly.
"I think it's safe to say that he's played his last snap with the Niners," Lynch said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. "It's unfortunate, a situation that just went awry. Sometimes it just doesn't work out."
Aiyuk has not played since Oct. 20, 2024, when he tore his ACL and MCL. That game, it turns out, was his last in a 49ers uniform.
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The breakup traces back further. Aiyuk staged a hold-in during training camp last summer before signing a four-year, $120 million extension just before the season. He appeared in only seven games before the knee injury, and the relationship continued to deteriorate behind the scenes.
San Francisco later voided the guaranteed money in Aiyuk's deal after he failed to participate in rehab sessions and team meetings, eventually placing him on the reserve left squad list. From there, separation became inevitable.
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Lynch admitted he still does not fully understand how things reached that point.
"I wish I knew," he said when asked why Aiyuk distanced himself from the team.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan echoed the confusion.
"That's something I've never seen in 22 years of coaching," Shanahan said. "It's unfortunate. It's confusing for all of us. But eventually you understand it's not going to change, and you've got to move on with your football team."
