Brandon Aiyuk’s time with the San Francisco 49ers is probably over now that the team is in the offseason. As a result, Aiyuk will need to continue his career elsewhere after not playing this 2025 NFL season.
The 49ers face a key decision on when and how to move on from Brandon Aiyuk. ESPN’s Nick Wagoner notes that with the wideout’s future guarantees voided, releasing him this offseason would cost nearly $30 million in dead money against the salary cap.
San Francisco could instead choose a post-June 1 release, spreading the dead money into $13.325 million in 2026 and $21.247 million in 2027. Those figures would also apply if they traded him, though a trade cannot be designated post-June 1 and would require the team to keep Aiyuk on the roster through the summer.
Nonetheless, with his time with the 49ers over, CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan noted the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers as possible landing spots for Aiyuk.
“[The Steelers have] been an organization that has long been eyeing Brandon Aiyuk when he was going through all of these trials and tribulations with the San Francisco 49ers,” Sullivan said on a Jan. 21 appearance on CBS Sports HQ.
“As much as they are an organization in transition, obviously moving on from Mike Tomlin, searching for a new head coach. Aaron Rodgers seems to be out the door. Last I checked, the front office is still intact.
“I think that this could possibly be a landing spot for Brandon Aiyuk… I do think that bringing somebody in like that to pair opposite of DK Metcalf is really important, no matter who you have at those spots, because if we watch the Pittsburgh Steelers this season, it really was DK Metcalf and everybody else.”
Josh Allen Needs a Receiver Like Brandon Aiyuk
Moreover, Sullivan also mentioned the Bills as an ideal landing spot. Buffalo are coming off another playoff disappointment, and the wideout group needs improvement for the 2026 NFL season.
“They were not able to get it done [this season] in my opinion because of the lackluster wide receiver room,” Sullivan added. “… You need somebody like Brandon Aiyuk at least [who] has that All-Pro caliber talent. Obviously, he’s coming off the injury and this tumultuous tenure with the 49ers, but if he arrived in Buffalo, he would be the best wide receiver they’ve had since Stefon Diggs.
“You look back to this season, Josh Allen was throwing to guys like Brandin Cooks, who arrived in the middle of the year, late October, November range. That’s not going to cut it if you’re Josh Allen trying to contend for a Super Bowl. Brandon Aiyuk does fit that billing of a No. 1 wide receiver when his head’s on straight, when he’s fully healthy.”
49ers Ready to Part Ways With Brandon Aiyuk
On Jan. 21, 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to the media at their end-of-season press conference. It was during this moment that Lynch stated that Aiyuk’s time with the Niners is likely over.
“I think it’s safe to say that he’s played his last snap with the Niners,” Lynch said (h/t ESPN). “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 it just doesn’t work out. And I think that this was a case where that happened.”
49ers Receive Bills, Steelers Take Amid Brandon Aiyuk Update