Brandon Aiyuk Could Wind Up Losing A Lot (More) Money If He Leaves The 49ers

For the first four years of his career, Brandon Aiyuk was a productive receiver for the San Francisco 49ers. The team selected him in the first round of the 2020 draft. He made an immediate impact, racking up 825 yards from scrimmage and seven total touchdowns. Another strong season followed, and in 2022 and 2023, Aiyuk posted back-to-back seasons with over 1,000 yards, developing a nice rapport with quarterback Brock Purdy along the way. His 2023 campaign ended with career-highs in receiving yards (1,342) and yards per catch (17.9). For his efforts, he was named to the All-Pro Second Team.

The 49ers were impressed with Aiyuk's body of work, and the two sides agreed to a four-year, $120 million contract extension on August 30, 2024. That's about where things started going downhill.

In Week 7 of the 2024 season, Aiyuk tore his ACL and MCL. He was ruled out for the remainder of the season and ultimately missed the entire 2025 season, too. It seems like the relationship is beyond repair, and it's virtually certain Aiyuk will never play another snap with the 49ers. The team already voided some of his contract due to a lack of participation, and the bill Aiyuk will ultimately owe could wind up being much more expensive than he anticipated.

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Throughout this whole ordeal, Aiyuk has regularly taken to social media to criticize the 49ers. In various videos, he's called the team "stupid," "dumb," and "little-ass boys" who had to "stop running from the bill." He's also expressed a desire to play for the Washington Commanders, though the team hasn't yet made a move to acquire him.

Because Aiyuk has not shown up to team activities or kept up with his physical rehab program, the 49ers have voided portions of his contract. Aiyuk lost about $27 million in guaranteed money for the 2026 season.

That's not all, though. The 49ers placed Aiyuk on the reserve/left team list, which means the team may have legal ground to recoup some of the money it owes him from his signing bonus. He's still owed $4.6 million per year for the next four years, which means the 49ers could recover between $13.8 million and $18.4 million, depending on how the league decides to enforce certain rulings.

Under the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement, Aiyuk will also forego $50,000 each day he misses training camp, and $67,500 should he miss any preseason games. That money will come out of his paycheck even if he signs with a new team.

Recovering from a significant injury is never a fun time. But it seems like the issue is going to cost Aiyuk more than anyone could have guessed.