There was an sudden new growth on Nov. 21 relating to large receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The Athletic reported that in late July the 49ers voided the $27 million of 2026 wage ensures within the four-year, $120 million contract extension Aiyuk signed on the finish of August 2024 after practically being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The deal culminated contentious negotiations through which Aiyuk requested a commerce and was a coaching camp hold-in.
Aiyuk hasn’t returned to motion since tearing the ACL, MCL and meniscus in his proper knee seven video games into the 2024 season. He was placed on the bodily unable to carry out record in July and hasn’t been medically cleared by the 49ers.
Niners coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed the voiding of the ensures throughout a press convention on Saturday. He did not pinpoint what conduct triggered the voiding. “It takes quite a lot of issues to get a contract voided,” Shanahan mentioned. “I’ve by no means handled that in my profession and been in any constructing that is had that.” The voiding reportedly befell due to Aiyuk lacking conferences and declining to take part in different staff actions the place the 49ers asserted that the absences constituted a failure to satisfy contractual obligations.
The NFLPA will routinely file a grievance on behalf of a participant when a staff voids wage ensures. Aiyuk knowledgeable the NFLPA that he did not wish to struggle the voiding of his ensures. Given voiding reportedly befell throughout coaching camp, the 50 days to contest the motion below the NFL’s non-injury grievance provisions has expired.
Contract ensures usually void for an exhaustive record of defaults by a participant. Aiyuk has the very same default language in his contract as All-Professional edge rusher Nick Bosa and Professional Bowl quarterback Brock Purdy. The language that controls the voiding of Aiyuk’s ensures reads as follows.
II. Default
Participant shall be deemed in default of this Contract (a “Default”) within the occasion Participant, at any time in the course of the Time period of the Contract, for any purpose in anyway:
(a) fails or refuses to report back to Membership or fails or refuses to apply or play with Membership with out consent of Membership’s Head Coach or Common Supervisor (besides by purpose of damage or dying suffered whereas practising or enjoying for Membership); or
(b) fails to carry out providers below this contract attributable to Participant’s damage because of a breach of Paragraph 3 of the Contract or because of participation in hazardous actions which contain a major threat of non-public damage and are non-football in nature, together with however not restricted to skydiving, hold gliding, rock or mountaineering, racing of any sort together with as a driver or a passenger, flying as a pilot of any plane (until licensed or as a part of a category to turn out to be licensed), motorcycling, skilled wrestling, boxing, scuba diving, jet snowboarding, browsing, bungee leaping, diving, snow-or water-skiing, unlawful use of any firearm, firework or different explosive, or off-road or all-terrain car; or
(c) leaves Membership with out its consent; or
(d) retires from skilled soccer; or
(e) is suspended by the NFL or Membership (excluding a suspension of two video games or fewer ensuing from a violation of NFL enjoying guidelines); or
(f) is incarcerated and
(1) Participant fails to report, apply or play with Membership, or
(2) Participant is charged with a felony; or
(g) has his Contract terminated for partaking in private conduct moderately judged by Membership to materially adversely have an effect on or replicate on Membership; or
(h) makes any public remark to the media, together with however not restricted to the newspaper, magazines, tv, radio or web that Membership determines, in its cheap discretion, breaches a fabric obligation of loyalty to Membership and/or materially undermines the general public’s respect for the Membership, Membership’s possession, Membership coaches, or Membership administration, supplied that the primary violation of this subparagraph will end in a written warning, whereas the second and future violations could end in voiding of ensures; or
(i) commits any breach listed in Article 4, Part 9 of the governing Collective Bargaining Settlement.
With the 2026 ensures voiding, Aiyuk has an unsecured $85.124 million over the three years (2026 by way of 2028) remaining on his contract. Aiyuk’s compensation in 2026, 2027 and 2028 is $27 million, $28.124 million and $30 million. The $27 million that was totally assured consists of a $26.15 million base wage, a $100,000 exercise bonus and $750,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($44,117.65 for every sport lively).
Aiyuk’s $26.15 million 2026 base wage reduces to $1.215 million if an choice for a dummy or faux 2030 contract 12 months voiding on the fifth day of the 2029 waiver interval in February 2029 is exercised by Sept. 1, 2026. There’s a corresponding $24.935 million fee (i.e.; choice bonus) with the intention to get this dummy contract 12 months.
Choice bonuses are prorated over the lifetime of a contract (as much as a most of 5 years), together with the choice years, starting within the league 12 months when the choice is exercised. From a wage cap standpoint, the presumption is choice years will likely be picked up. Due to this, the $24.935 million is being prorated on the wage cap at $4.987 million yearly from 2026 by way of 2030.
Aiyuk’s 2026 wage cap is listed at $15,390,281, which incorporates the lowered $1.215 million 2026 base wage, $3,767,281 of proration from his $23 million signing bonus, $4.571 million from a $22.855 million 2025 choice bonus and the $4.987 million from the 2026 choice bonus. The insurance coverage on Aiyuk’s contract has lowered the bonus proration attributed to the 2025 by way of 2028 contract years by $832,719 every for a complete of $3,330,876 due to his knee damage.
The voiding units the stage for Aiyuk’s departure from the 49ers in 2026. The 49ers seemingly developed purchaser’s regret shortly after signing Aiyuk to a brand new deal. There have been reportedly makes an attempt to commerce Aiyuk in March however his damage difficult issues.
The best state of affairs could be for the 49ers to commerce Aiyuk. The commerce compensation would not come something near the second- and third-round picks Pittsburgh was reportedly keen to surrender for Aiyuk previous to his 2024 contract extension with the 49ers. Aiyuk did not resemble the participant who earned second-team All-Professional honors in 2023 earlier than he bought damage. The 49ers obtained a fifth-round choose from the Washington Commanders in March for large receiver Deebo Samuel, who performed in 15 video games final season.
Given the strained relationship, Aiyuk could not play one other snap for the 49ers. NFL Insider Jay Glazer revealed on Fox’s pregame present, “Fox NFL Sunday,” that the ball is in Aiyuk’s court docket about enjoying this season. The assumption is Aiyuk is near being bodily cleared.
Search for Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels to foyer for the acquisition of his shut pal Aiyuk. The 2 had been teammates at Arizona State in 2019. The Commanders had been Aiyuk’s most popular vacation spot when he requested for a commerce in 2024.
Whether or not the 49ers commerce Aiyuk in a well timed method or launch him with out a post-June 1 designation, there may be going to be $29,585,843 of lifeless cash, a wage cap cost for a participant not on a staff’s roster, from his $23 million signing bonus and the $22.855 million 2025 choice bonus. The lifeless cash is a $14,195,562 improve over Aiyuk’s $15,390,281 2026 wage cap quantity. Aiyuk could be off San Francisco’s books beginning in 2027, eliminating his $41,449,281 and $43,325,281 cap numbers for 2027 and 2028 from the monetary equation.
The 49ers are in a good place wage cap clever to deal with an offseason commerce previous to subsequent April’s 2026 NFL Draft or a standard launch of Aiyuk. There are practically $274 million of 2026 cap commitments with 44 gamers below contract, in line with NFLPA knowledge. The highest 51 salaries (i.e.; wage cap numbers) matter below offseason accounting guidelines. The 49ers have $19.81 million of present cap area that may be carried over to 2026. With an analogous improve as in 2025, the 2026 wage cap must be within the $300 million to $305 million vary.
By releasing Aiyuk with a post-June 1 designation, the lifeless cash could be $13,325,281 in 2026 and $21,247,562 in 2027. There could be a wage cap credit score in 2027 from the $4.987 million of 2026 bonus proration regarding the $24.935 million choice in 2026 for the dummy/voiding 2030 contract 12 months that will not be picked up.
The 49ers would achieve $2.065 million of 2026 cap area below this state of affairs. The online 2027 cap financial savings could be $25,188,719 factoring within the cap credit score. The 49ers would not have wage cap costs for Aiyuk starting in 2028.
Exterior of a reconciliation, the 49ers may have paid Aiyuk $48.15 million for 25 receptions and 374 yards receiving since he signed the brand new deal. Since Aiyuk was scheduled to make $14.124 million on a fifth-year choice in 2024, it is the equal of a one-year extension at $34.026 million.
