Unlike roughly a third of the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers aren’t making a coaching change this offseason. General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan will return for their tenth season together. Considering they’ve made two Super Bowl appearances in that span, the 49ers are probably right not to make significant changes to their structure.
But that doesn’t mean some of their most well-known players won’t be moving on.
On Wednesday, Lynch revealed that second-team All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has likely played his last snap as a member of the 49ers. While the 49ers have not cut or traded Aiyuk, it’s only a matter of time before San Francisco cuts bait with their former star receiver this offseason.
“The plan, in terms of the transaction, that will come in due time,” Lynch said. “I think it’s safe to say that he’s played his last snap with the Niners. It’s unfortunate, a situation that just went awry. And I will look long and hard at what could have been done differently, but sometimes just doesn’t work out. I think that this was a case where that happened.”
Aiyuk only suited up for seven games in 2024. He missed the entirety of the 2025 season while recovering from injury.
Two years prior, he had a career-best 75 receptions for 1,342 yards plus seven touchdowns. He’s posted two 1,000-yard seasons across five seasons and will still be just 28 next season.
It remains to be seen what type of market Aiyuk will have, yet speculation will surely point to him landing with the Washington Commanders, where he’d reunite with Jayden Daniels, his college QB at Arizona State. Either way, expect to see Aiyuk back on the field in 2026, but it won’t be as a member of the 49ers.
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