It seems the San Francisco 49ers are stuck with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
On Sunday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the 49ers owe Aiyuk a $22.85M bonus if he's still on their roster Tuesday. Schefter added no trade is expected by Tuesday, and Aiyuk will probably stay in San Francisco in 2025 if the 49ers pay him the roster bonus.
The 49ers reportedly considered trading Aiyuk last offseason before signing him to a four-year, $120M contract extension. In September 2024, Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported San Francisco almost sent him to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the wideout vetoed the deal at the last minute.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told the media "most of" the report was accurate.
After the 49ers gave Aiyuk the contract, he struggled to meet expectations. In seven games, he had 25 receptions for 374 yards and zero touchdown catches. He also had four drops, via Pro Football Reference.
Aiyuk suffered a season-ending ACL/MCL tear in a Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Pair the injury with his decline in production, and it's easy to understand why potential trade suitors are avoiding the WR.
Still, retaining Aiyuk may not be bad for the 49ers. In 2023, he earned a second-team All-Pro nod after finishing seventh in the league in receiving yards (1,342 in 16 games) during the regular season. The 49ers made Super Bowl LVIII that season.
More importantly, the 49ers already lost one of their proven pass-catchers. In March, San Francisco traded WR Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders for a 2025 fifth-rounder. Samuel finished third on the team in receiving yards (670 in 15 games) last season.
The 49ers need Aiyuk to recapture his mojo. It doesn't seem they're in a position to trade him, and he should play a key role for their passing attack in 2025.
