The San Francisco 49ers keep finding ways to win, even with a wide receiver room that’s been a revolving door all season.
That’s why Monday’s news that the NFL reinstated Brandon Aiyuk was so intriguing.
Most expect the 49ers to trade or release the disgruntled wideout before his two-week roster exemption expires on Nov. 23, and head coach Kyle Shanahan has already said the reinstatement “means absolutely nothing” to his team.
However, one longtime 49ers insider believes San Francisco should do the unthinkable: keep him.
The Case for 49ers Keeping Brandon Aiyuk
Grant Cohn of 49ers On SI, who has covered the team since 2011, made the case on Monday that San Francisco shouldn’t let stubbornness get in the way of fixing its biggest need.
Cohn is fine with the 49ers moving on from Aiyuk if they land a young No. 1 receiver like George Pickens or Brian Thomas Jr. before Tuesday’s trade deadline. If they don’t, he believes Aiyuk should stay put.
“They currently need a wide receiver as desperately as any team in the league,” Cohn wrote. “Relying on Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, Demarcus Robinson and Jordan Watkins is not smart. Because Evans is old and breaking down, and if he misses a playoff game, the 49ers will lose.
“Unless they have Aiyuk. We know he has terrific chemistry with Brock Purdy. So why just give him away for next to nothing? Why not keep him until the end of the season, and then cut him?”
Cohn also took a jab at the 49ers’ frustration over the money Aiyuk has already collected.
“Let him earn some of those millions the 49ers feel he stole from them,” Cohn added.
He also noted that Aiyuk’s base salary is just $1.2 million this season now that his guarantees have been voided, which makes him extremely cheap to keep.
Why Keeping Brandon Aiyuk Isn’t That Crazy
It’s not the craziest idea when you look at the 49ers’ injury report.
Evans (Achilles) has missed the last two games and is “questionable at best” for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys. Samuel also sat out against the Las Vegas Raiders. Christian Kirk (knee) was just placed on injured reserve and may not return this season. And rookie De’Zhaun Stribling (ankle) hasn’t played since Week 1. Oh, and Ricky Pearsall (knee) was lost for the season before it even started.
That’s a lot of missing firepower for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
Aiyuk, meanwhile, is just two years removed from his second-team All-Pro season in 2023, when he racked up 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. He also says he’s healthy.
“It was a long recovery process, a long rehab process, but I’m back to 100% and looking to get reinstated to the National Football League,” Aiyuk said Friday.
Still, there’s a big difference between what makes sense on paper and what’s realistic. General manager John Lynch said in January that Aiyuk had played his last snap for the team. Shanahan said Friday that he “couldn’t care less” about the situation, and the NFL has told Aiyuk he owes the 49ers roughly $13 million in bonus money.
So while Cohn’s solution might be the smartest one for the 49ers’ playoff hopes, it would require San Francisco to swallow a lot of pride. And nothing Shanahan or Lynch has said suggests that’s happening anytime soon.
49ers Insider Proposes Stunning Solution to Brandon Aiyuk Drama