SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers have placed wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on the reserve list, making him ineligible to return from a knee injury this season.
The move comes after the Niners previously voided $27 million guaranteed in his contract for next season for not participating in meetings and other team activities. This likely marks the end of his tenure in San Francisco.
Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million extension last year that included guaranteed money through 2026. The 49ers are expected to cut ties with him before next season without having to pay him more money.
San Francisco could try to recoup some of the bonus money the team already paid Aiyuk. If the Niners are successful, that would reduce the $29.6 million in dead money cap charges the team would have to take on if Aiyuk is cut or traded before next season.
Aiyuk has been out all season recovering from knee surgery last year. Coach Kyle Shanahan initially expressed hope that Aiyuk would be able to return to the practice field in early November.
Shanahan said late last month that Aiyuk had not been medically cleared to play.
Aiyuk signed the lucrative extension last summer after a lengthy contract holdout that kept him out of training camp. He was coming off a 2023 season in which he had 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns and was a second-team All-Pro selection.
Aiyuk had just 25 receptions for 374 yards in seven games last season before being injured. He has been paid around 48 million in the last two seasons for that production.
The 27-year-old Aiyuk has 294 receptions for 4,305 yards and 25 touchdowns since being drafted in the first round in 2020.
