SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Because the San Francisco 49ers and vast receiver Brandon Aiyuk careen towards a crossroads on their future collectively, loads of essential questions stay unanswered.
On Saturday afternoon, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed the group voided about $27 million in 2026 ensures on Aiyuk’s contract in late July after which spent most of his information convention fielding lots of these leftover queries about Aiyuk’s standing. Within the ensuing 11 minutes and 54 seconds, Shanahan alternated between providing perception and declining to offer specifics.
One factor is for sure: Shanahan is not used to such an uncommon situation.
“I have been teaching over 20 years, and I’ve by no means been in a scenario the place a contract’s been voided,” Shanahan mentioned. “It is extraordinarily uncommon to me.”
The highest query of the day was what precisely Aiyuk did (or did not do) for such a drastic contract measure to be taken. Shanahan was requested repeatedly and provided hints, acknowledging that Aiyuk missed some conferences and group actions but additionally identified that gamers with important accidents, like Aiyuk’s proper knee damage, do not all the time participate in all these issues anyway.
Aiyuk was within the group facility doing rehab as not too long ago as Friday, in accordance with Shanahan.
Sources mentioned that Aiyuk’s voided ensures had been a results of him not dwelling as much as the phrases of his contract, which might embrace questions on his participation in required rehab and group actions, although Shanahan indicated there was extra to it with out providing additional particulars.
“It takes plenty of issues to get a contract voided,” Shanahan mentioned. “I’ve by no means handled that in my profession and been in any constructing that is had that. It was uncommon. However that is stuff that I am unable to get into proper now.”
As for the place issues stand between the group and Aiyuk, Shanahan mentioned the Niners haven’t medically cleared him to return. Requested whether or not Aiyuk and the Niners are on the identical web page in relation to his efforts to return, Shanahan demurred.
“I am unable to inform you that,” Shanahan mentioned. “I’m not getting a lot dialogue simply personally between him and I, and I have been advised that it is week to week, so every week I wait to see if he is prepared to return again for observe and I have never received that reply but.”
Nonetheless, Shanahan mentioned he and the 49ers are hoping Aiyuk will return to play this season. For now, Aiyuk is on the bodily unable to carry out listing however is eligible to open his 21-day observe window at any level.
On Saturday, fellow receivers Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall mentioned they have been in touch with Aiyuk, although each mentioned they do not actually focus on the enterprise facet of issues with him.
“I believe he is doing fantastic,” Pearsall mentioned. “It is laborious as a result of he is a quiet man, he is to himself, however as a lot as I can attain out to him and present love his manner as a result of he is achieved that all through my journey. I am simply making an attempt to pay my dues again to him and I believe he is doing good.”
Given the uncertainty that comes with having assured cash voided, it is honest to marvel if Aiyuk might need already performed his closing sport as a Niner.
If the 49ers transfer on from Aiyuk within the offseason, the voiding of 2026 ensures means they may notice extra cap financial savings than they might have in any other case, although there’ll nonetheless be plenty of useless cash from accelerated prorated signing (2024) and choice (2025) bonuses.
An outright launch with no publish June 1 designation means the Niners would incur a dead-cap cost of $29.585 million. Past subsequent season, Aiyuk is scheduled to obtain base salaries of $27.274 million in 2027 and $29.15 million in 2028.
Shanahan mentioned Saturday he isn’t enthusiastic about parting methods with Aiyuk proper now.
“What occurred in July would not have something to do with the longer term,” Shanahan mentioned. “That needed to do with circumstances that, to me, had been out of a coach’s hand. … In the case of the way forward for this, I’d love for BA to be right here. I’d love for him to get wholesome and get again to essentially serving to us out and being a part of his group. We have not had that in somewhat bit, and I nonetheless maintain out hope that he can get there, however he clearly hasn’t gotten there but.”
Aiyuk signed his four-year, $120 million extension on Aug. 29, 2024, after an typically contentious standoff. By means of the method, the Niners had trades that may ship Aiyuk to the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers agreed upon. In every case, Aiyuk vetoed the scenario so he might finally keep in San Francisco.
If Aiyuk would not play one other sport for the Niners, he can have been paid $48 million to seem in seven video games after signing the extension. In these contests, he had 25 receptions for 374 yards and no touchdowns.
At this 12 months’s coaching camp, there had been some optimism that Aiyuk was coming round. At one level, Shanahan and receivers coach Leonard Hankerson praised him for his participation in conferences. Since, Aiyuk’s presence has develop into more and more scarce. Aiyuk has additionally not been round on the parts of observe open to media and has not been within the locker room throughout media periods
Requested Saturday what modified in that point, Shanahan mentioned, “You’d should ask him.” Shanahan was then requested if he believes Aiyuk is motivated to return to the sector this season.
“I do not assume that basically issues,” Shanahan mentioned. “I believe everybody might need a special opinion of that. … I used to be advised just a few weeks in the past he was getting nearer and we have not made progress in that manner to date. From my standpoint, I am simply ready for him to get again to observe.”