49ers are dealing with yet another Brandon Aiyuk problem

For months, it's been pretty clear that Brandon Aiyuk isn't going to play another snap for the San Francisco 49ers.

Nevertheless, that doesn't mean the team will do him any favors. The 49ers know other teams may want him, so they want to get something in return.

That approach hasn't worked so far, and with the clock ticking, the situation is far from encouraging.

According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, the 49ers' open desire to move him has hurt his trade value, but the real impasse is his massive contract. 

No one wants to take Brandon Aiyuk's contract

"We know he's not going to be back in San Francisco, the team is ready to move on from him," Schefter said. "They've advertised, including this weekend, at every turn that they would trade him for whatever they could get back for him."

Schefter speculated that Aiyuk's steep salary will continue to drive potential suitors away.

"I think the reason that a team is not trading for him right now is that they don't want to assume the current contract that he has," the insider argued.

Aiyuk is slated to make $27 million in 2027 and and $29 million in the final year of his contract. That also comes with cap hits of $41 and $43 million, respectively.

He's coming off a major knee injury, hasn't played in more than a year, and has well-documented character and communication issues. As such, it's easy to understand why multiple teams might not want to part with valuable assets to get him.

As things stand now, it looks like the 49ers will have no choice but to cave and release him at some point.

And while several teams will likely be interested in him as a free agent, they're going to keep him on a short leash, given how he's approached his career since before he got a new deal.