After producing one of the most efficient wide receiving seasons that the National Football League has ever seen, the San Francisco 49ers figured to have found their guy in Brandon Aiyuk. At 25 years of age, the shifty wideout was coming off a 1,342 receiving yard season with just 75 receptions, and the franchise needed a weapon for their budding sophomore quarterback, Brock Purdy.
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As a result, just before the 2024 season, the 49ers decided to offer Aiyuk a four-year, $120-million contract. He’s played in seven games since he signed it, and now, quite predictably, the two of them are headed towards what The Athletic’s Dianna Russini would describe as a “divorce.”
BREAKING: Fifteen months after signing a four-year, $120 million extension, Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers appear headed toward a divorce, sources tell me and @MikeSilver.
More on voided future guarantees, frustrations and what comes next: https://t.co/klV5YA17va pic.twitter.com/b7voXN8Njv
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) November 21, 2025
Nevertheless, the 27-year-old appears to be unbothered, as his latest appearance saw him “cashing out” on designer jewelry at the IceBox in Atlanta, Georgia. A diamond necklace, which featured an equally diamond-studded pendant of the letter “B,” was the main reason for the trip.
The store and its employees had extended their hours and stayed open later than usual that day, specifically for Aiyuk and his crew, so it was only right for him to reciprocate the favor by spending accordingly and buying two separate colored pieces. Considering that his deal includes $76 million in guarantees, we’re pretty confident that he could afford to splurge a little.
According to Russini’s sources, Aiyuk has repeatedly failed to do the bare minimum while he continues to nurse his knee injury. His failure to appear at team meetings, declining to participate in team activities, and lack of communication with the team in general are the supposed sources of the frustration.
The team has reportedly voided Aiyuk’s guarantees for 2026, arguing that he has failed to fulfill the requirements that are outlined in his contract. According to sources, the wide receiver informed the NFL Players’ Association that he will not be filing an official grievance in response to the move.
Unfortunately, all signs seem to point towards the 2025 regular season being Aiyuk’s final one in San Francisco. The only issue, however, is that the 49ers may not be able to save this investment.
Aiyuk’s massive contract alone will be enough to deter some teams from calling, but when you factor in that he’s 27 years old and recently tore his ACL, MCL, and PCL, the potential interest in him as a trade target falls even further. No matter where he ends up, San Francisco’s front office certainly got caught holding the bag on this one, and all they can hope to do now is recover as much draft capital as possible to prevent this from being a total embarrassment.
