Where Could Brandon Aiyuk Play Next? Options Emerge As His 49ers Future Looks Over

Brandon Aiyuk's Potential Landing Spots As 49ers Exit Looms© Instagram

Brandon Aiyuk signed a four-year extension with the San Francisco 49ers in 2024 and played seven games before tearing his ACL, MCL, and meniscus in October of that year. He has not been back since. The 49ers placed him on the reserve/left squad list in December 2025, did not pay his $24.9 million option bonus, and both coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch have indicated he will not play for the team again. His agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed this past week that Aiyuk has filed reinstatement paperwork and is healthy and ready to return. The question is not whether his time in San Francisco is over. The question is where he goes next.

Why the 49ers Are Moving On

The situation between Aiyuk and the franchise deteriorated over the course of his absence. He has been living outside California and faces three open traffic cases in Santa Clara County, one of which resulted in an arrest warrant. The 49ers did not pay his option bonus after he landed on the left squad list, which means they owe him only a prorated share of his $1.2 million base salary if he is released. A release would push roughly $21.2 million in previously paid bonus money onto the 2026 and 2027 cap, which is a price the team appears willing to pay to close the chapter. A trade is technically possible, with San Francisco carrying over $35 million in cap space, but finding a team willing to give up draft capital for a receiver coming off two years away from the field is a different problem entirely.

Which Teams Make Sense

The name that comes up most often is the Washington Commanders. Their GM Adam Peters worked in San Francisco's scouting department when the 49ers drafted Aiyuk, and Aiyuk has a close friendship with Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. That connection matters. Teams acquire receivers for scheme fit and quarterback chemistry, and Washington checks both boxes in a way that most other landing spots do not. Any acquiring team would also need to absorb significant salary, with his contract calling for over $27 million in 2027 and $29 million in 2028, which means a renegotiation is almost certainly part of any deal. Aiyuk was one of the better receivers in the league before the injury. Whether he can return to that level after this long away from the game is the bet any team is making.