The Brandon Aiyuk and San Francisco 49ers situation continues to remain at a standstill, given that the wideout wants out and is using social media to express that. However, the Niners aren’t willing to release him now and would prefer a trade.
Aiyuk didn’t begin the process of being removed from the Reserve/Left Squad by showing up for OTAs. Meanwhile, the 49ers have the leverage as long as the wideout doesn’t show up at the facilities to force the team into making a decision.
With the situation not really advancing beyond the various updates Aiyuk shares on Instagram, former 49ers standout Richard Sherman shared his thoughts on the rift between the team and the player.
“We’re in this situation where everybody’s like, they shouldn’t just hold on to him. Well, they’re going to do what’s best for them,” Sherman said on the June 24 edition of “The Richard Sherman Podcast.” “They’re going to do what’s best for their franchise in terms of the opponents they’re going to see, how they’re going to play this season, cap situation, everything.
“At some point, they’ll release him. If he shows up and gets reinstated and forces their hand, I’m sure that he’ll get released that day and maybe the Washington Commanders pick him up.”
During his four seasons with the 49ers, Aiyuk has had 294 receptions for 4,305 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns in 69 games, per StatMuse. Nonetheless, Aiyuk missed the 2025 season after suffering a severe right knee injury in October 2024.
Richard Sherman on 49ers Voiding Brandon Aiyuk’s Guarantees
Sherman also shared details on when the relationship between the 49ers and Aiyuk began to sour last year, which eventually allowed for San Francisco to void the guarantees in the wideout’s contract.
“If everybody else has to show up on the 23rd, you have to show up on the 19th,” Sherman added. “You know why? Because the team that invested $30 million a year in you wants to evaluate you and see how your rehab has gone. They want to do MRIs, they want to do testing, and they want to do it at a time that 90 other players aren’t there, so they can really focus on you, so all the doctors can give you their full attention and provide the care and understanding you need. That way, they can truly understand where you are in your recovery process.
“Not because they want to screw Brandon Aiyuk. No, you haven’t rehabbed here. We have no idea where you are. You haven’t updated us at all. So if you could show up four days early, which is standard protocol for anybody who hasn’t rehabbed at the facility, that’s perfectly fine. He didn’t do that. So they fined him every day he didn’t show up, which was four days at $50,000 per day. Then he gave them an avenue to void his guarantees. That’s what happened.”
Commanders Get Stern Message on Brandon Aiyuk
Moreover, Sherman warned the Commanders that if they do sign or trade for Aiyuk, they have to prepare for whatever happens when there’s frustration from the player’s part.
“Adam Peters, who was with San Francisco when they drafted BA, is going to pick him up, and it’s going to be a great relationship,” Sherman added. “But once you get into this place, it’s hard to get out of this mode.
“So even if you get to Washington, what happens when the ball doesn’t go his way a couple times, when things aren’t going well, and hey, they’re not targeting him, are they doubling him, and he gets frustrated? Like, it can go real bad real fast.”
Richard Sherman Gets Blunt on 49ers, Brandon Aiyuk Rift