Oct 10, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) catches the ball during warmups before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Jed York Would Welcome Brandon Aiyuk Back to the 49ers for 2026

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Jose Sanchez | Last updated Mar 30, 2026 7:00 PM ET

It is insane to fathom that the San Francisco 49ers still have Brandon Aiyuk on their roster at the end of March.

The two sides seemed locked in for a divorce the moment the 2026 league year began. Yet, the 49ers are retaining Aiyuk with the hope that they can trade him.

The 49ers are delusional for believing a team will trade for Aiyuk on his current contract. And now, the 49ers, or Jed York, rather, are leaving the door open for Aiyuk to return to them in 2026.

York would love Aiyuk back

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"I would like to see him play for us. We paid him for a reason, said York at the NFL owners meetings. "He's a really good football player, and when you look at the group of people that is there, especially adding guys like Mike and Christian, who are legit veteran people, that's a room that can absorb somebody that has had a tough go with our franchise for the last year or so.

"I think we're making sure that (wide receiver) room is what it needs to be, and if BA is a part of that room, we're gonna be more talented, and I have no problem with that. I hope he's doing well personally, and I hope I get to see him soon."

This is unreal. Once again, the 49ers seemed poised to cut ties with Aiyuk back when it was revealed that they voided his guaranteed money.

But not only are they retaining him to attempt to trade him, which is likely driven by pettiness, but they are also open to Aiyuk returning for the 2026 regular season.

It doesn't matter if York is involved with the roster building or not. The moment he spoke about Aiyuk coming back, it officially opened a can of worms for the 49ers.

All of this could've been avoided if they had just done the right thing by releasing Aiyuk. They wanted to be done with him, and he wants to be done with the 49ers.

This story should've been over with. Instead, they are dragging this on, continuing to give it life and be a distraction going into the OTAs, and possibly training camp with how this is going so far.

"BA is a very talented guy. I would love to bring him back into the fold," York said, "and if not, I think he is a valuable asset that other people would want, and we're gonna make sure that we get value and we bring talent into our building."

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This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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