Brandon Aiyuk‘s days with the San Francisco 49ers already felt numbered, but President of Football Operations John Lynch erased any doubt regarding that notion at a press conference on Wednesday.
“The plan in terms of the transaction that will come in due time. I think it’s safe to say that he [Aiyuk] has performed his final snap with the 49ers,” Lynch mentioned when requested about Aiyuk’s future in San Francisco. “It’s an unlucky scenario that simply went awry. I’ll look lengthy and exhausting at what might have been executed in a different way, however generally it simply doesn’t work out. I feel that this was a case the place that occurred.”
The 27-year-old Aiyuk is about to enter the second season of a four-year, $120 million contract, which he signed inside two weeks of the 2024 common season. That settlement got here towards the backdrop of commerce rumors relating to Aiyuk, as San Francisco was unable to shut the hole in extension talks and the extensive receiver was away from the group for almost all of the offseason earlier than the 2 sides struck a deal.
Then, seven video games into the 2024 season, Aiyuk tore each his ACL and MCL and hasn’t appeared in a sport for the 49ers ever since. In the meantime, San Francisco traded extensive receiver and 2021 All-Professional Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders for a fifth-round choose within the ensuing offseason.
This season, Aiyuk’s restoration was a subject of dialog. Furthermore, San Francisco stripped Aiyuk of $27 million in damage ensures in November after he did not take part in group conferences, a scenario that 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan referred to as “uncommon.”
From 2022-23, Aiyuk averaged 76.5 receptions for 1,178.5 yards and seven.5 touchdowns per season. San Francisco chosen Aiyuk with the No. 25 choose within the 2020 NFL Draft out of Arizona State. With out Aiyuk — and within the aftermath of buying and selling Samuel — the 49ers nonetheless managed to be fifth within the NFL in passing yards this season, averaging 244.5 yards per sport within the air.
San Francisco completed the common season at 12-5 and defeated the Philadelphia Eagles on the highway within the NFC wild-card spherical earlier than being dismantled on the highway by the Seattle Seahawks within the divisional spherical, 41-6.
