On NFL Live, Schefter noted the lack of guarantees in Aiyuk’s contract puts the ball in the Niners court:
“I know it says they are planning to release him, but I would like to add on that they’re not planning to release him anytime soon. They essentially have no guaranteed money left on his contract, so they can hold onto him for the time being.”
Schefer hinted at the Niners holding on to Aiyuk in the event that a team, likely Washington, is willing to part ways with any draft capital for Aiyuk:
I think they will be holding onto him to see if there’s any trade value at all. Washington does make a lot of sense. He played with Jayden Daniels in college. They’re very close. I’m sure Jayden would love to play again with Brandon Aiyuk, but I don’t get the sense that the 49ers are in any rush to move on from Brandon Aiyuk, even though we know eventually they will
The divorce between both parties remains a question of when, not if. You can’t help but wonder how differently this situation would have been had Aiyuk not suffered an injury in 2024. Because if he hadn’t, and would have produced a 1,000-yard season, we’re not hearing about the Niners having buyer’s remorse a month after the season ended.
If that doesn’t happen, Aiyuk shows up to workouts, likely doesn’t act closed off to any incoming messages from the team, and everybody is happy.
The endless “what ifs” you can play.