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49ers GM admits $120M mistake with Brandon Aiyuk update

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

49ers GM John Lynch admits $120M mistake with Brandon Aiyuk update

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Jan 21, 2026 6:15 PM ET

The San Francisco 49ers clearly regret making Brandon Aiyuk one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL.

In August 2024, the Niners signed Aiyuk — who hasn't played since October 2024 because of an ACL/MCL tear in his right knee — to a four-year, $120M extension. Now, the club is admitting that giving him that deal was an expensive mistake.

49ers GM John Lynch reveals team is planning to move on from Brandon Aiyuk this offseason

"It's safe to say he has played his last game with the 49ers," Lynch said of Aiyuk on Wednesday, via KGMZ-FM in San Francisco. "It's an unfortunate situation that went awry. I will look long and hard at what could've been done differently, but sometimes it just doesn't work out. I think this was a case where this happened."

Aiyuk —the ninth-highest-paid WR in the league — underperformed after he signed his deal. In seven games in 2024, the 27-year-old logged 53.4 receiving yards per game (374 yards), the second-lowest mark of his career after tallying a career-high 83.9 (1,342 yards in 16 games) in 2023.

“I would say it’s safe to say he (Aiyuk) has played his last snap with the 49ers. It’s an unfortunate situation that just went awry. I will look long and hard at what could have been done differently, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out. I think that this was a case where that…
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) January 21, 2026

2023 second-team All-Pro Aiyuk showed little desire to return from his injury, adding to the 49ers' concerns. In December 2025, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said the WR stopped attending his injury rehab and had grown "extremely distant" from the team. He remains MIA.

"It's something I haven't seen in my 22 years of coaching," Shanahan said of Aiyuk not contacting the team.

"It's something I've never seen in my 22 years of coaching."

Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch on Brandon Aiyuk cutting off contact with the Niners pic.twitter.com/4VQKBEo2pz
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) January 21, 2026

The Niners are already prepared to move on from Aiyuk. In November 2025, the team voided the guaranteed money ($76M) on his contract for skipping team meetings and not participating in other activities (via The Athletic's Dianna Russini and Michael Silver). The WR told the NFL Players Association not to file a grievance.

The 49ers will try to trade Aiyuk, but expect him to attract few suitors. They'll probably release him instead. A desperate team (New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans) may take a chance on him in free agency.

To replace Aiyuk, San Francisco should consider re-signing WR Jauan Jennings in free agency. The 2020 seventh-round pick led the team in touchdown catches (nine) and finished second in receiving yards (643) during the regular season.

However, the 49ers must ensure they don't overpay a WR again. They've already wasted enough money on Aiyuk.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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