49ers get more bad news on 'untradable' Brandon Aiyuk

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

49ers get more bad news on 'untradable' Brandon Aiyuk

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Jun 1, 2026 8:01 AM ET

For the past couple of years, Brandon Aiyuk has been a bit of a headache for the San Francisco 49ers.

From a stand-off to finally signing a contract extension to a major injury and doubts about his work ethic and commitment, Aiyuk has given Kyle Shanahan plenty of headaches. That's one of several reasons why they're more than ready to move on from him this offseason.

However, as ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler pointed out on "SportsCenter," Aiyuk's trade value in the league is pretty close to zero.

49ers' Brandon Aiyuk is "untradable" right now

“After June 1 is when the 49ers can save about $20 million on the cap if they were to cut him. I talked to two rival executives who believe that he is simply untradable right now. It's just going to be hard to move him because of the knee issue, didn't play last year. He's kind of ghosted the 49ers at times. They haven't really had a lot of communication with him. And then you've got the contract,” Fowler said.

Teams are 30 hours away from being able to utilize post-June-1 cap benefits via trades and cuts.

A.J. Brown, Alvin Kamara and Brandon Aiyuk among players to watch@SportsCenter updates with @garystriewski pic.twitter.com/tYlRZotJKy
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) May 31, 2026

There are major doubts about whether Aiyuk can stay healthy after allegedly not taking his recovery seriously. He's been out for a long while, has a big contract and has a history of burning bridges and being a tough character in the locker room.

Multiple teams could still be interested in his services if he were to become a free agent, but the 49ers don't gain anything from cutting him loose and letting him walk away as a free agent. That said, they also cannot afford for him to continue being a distraction in the locker room.

At one point, it seems general manager John Lynch will have to make a tough decision. They might be better off just cutting their losses and moving on from him.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

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