Some of Yinz Wanted This Guy

And supposedly Kahn went after him hard. What a bust that would have turned out to be:

Brandon Aiyuk put on reserve/left squad list; 49ers tenure likely over

By Matt Barrows and Dianna Russini
Dec. 13, 2025Updated Dec. 14, 2025 10:21 pm EST

The San Francisco 49ers on Saturday placed Brandon Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list, ending his 2025 season and likely severing the team’s ties with the talented wide receiver for the future.

As recently as a month ago, coach Kyle Shanahan said Aiyuk had been arriving at the team facility for early-morning rehabilitation sessions and then leaving for the day. Saturday’s transaction suggests Aiyuk hasn’t even been doing the bare minimum in terms of attendance.

The 49ers held out hope at midseason that Aiyuk could help them late in the year, with Shanahan saying the receiver was “week to week” as far as returning to practice after last year’s ACL tear. But with only three weeks of practice remaining in the regular season, time has all but run out for getting him conditioned and acclimated to play in an NFL game.

In July, the 49ers voided the 2026 guaranteed money in Aiyuk’s contract and, according to a report by The Athletic’s Michael Silver and Dianna Russini, he told NFL Players Association representatives he wouldn’t challenge the contract decision through a formal grievance.

“I’ve been coaching over 20 years, and I’ve never been in a situation where a contract’s been voided,” Shanahan said last month. “It takes a lot of things to get a contract voided. Never dealt with that. It was unusual, but it’s stuff I can’t get into right now.”

Aiyuk was the team’s top pass catcher during its run to the Super Bowl in 2023, developing a strong connection with quarterback Brock Purdy and finishing with a career-high 1,342 receiving yards. Aiyuk agreed to a four-year, $120 million extension in August 2024, ending an often-messy, months-long contract dispute. He got off to a slow start that season, then had a multi-ligament knee injury in a Week 7 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Aiyuk hasn’t played since, and possibly could have helped in a season in which several other fleet-footed receivers — Ricky Pearsall, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins — have been injured.

“The more speed on the field you have, the better,” Shanahan said Friday. “So when you’re missing a lot of guys who can run, those are guys that you’re possibly counting on, that definitely affects everything.”

With Aiyuk and the 49ers likely heading for a divorce in the offseason, and with Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne heading for free agency, the team is eyeing Pearsall to be the foundation of its receiving corps for the future. Pearsall got off to a hot start this season, but he missed six games with a knee injury and has tallied 20 receiving yards in the three games since.

Watkins, Cowing and veteran Demarcus Robinson are also under contract for next season.

 

I don't think it is applicable here. I think this is more of to, coin a phrase, a bad marriage and they shouldn't have tried to reconcile.
As far as being here, well, the record shows we are not good in dealing with WR's... I think that is very obvious.

I don't really know where he lost his taste for SF, players do weird things.
I theorize I would take less in order to play in more championships, but that seems to be lost on some players.

In the end the move would be a disaster here. There seems to be some sort of issue with even having 2 good WRs and if anything can go wrong on the attitude front, it does.
So, I would agree, by default

 

I don't think the result would have necessarily been the same, but when the Steelers were pursuing him I got to the point after a while where I was against getting him. It got too late in the process and he'd spent more time in contract talks than preparing for the season. I'm always afraid of injuries in those cases and it turns out it's been a problem since.

 

For some reason Aiyuk and Shanahan didn't seem to get along.

 

Who?

 

CLEAN UP!!

 

Metcalf was a good free agent acquisition even though the offense doesn't use his talents to their full potential. Much better than Aiyuk would have been. Signing Aiyuk in 2024 would have been a disaster. Steelers got the right WR. Just need to get a true #2 to go with Metcalf in 2026.

 

I have to wonder if there was something else at play here. Maybe something with how the team wanted to do the medical stuff and the player didn't like it? Seems to have gotten weird in a hurry.

 

Hmm. I was told stuff like this only happens under our coaching staff.

 

Im going to call this the Kenny Pickett effect. After all the BS posturing from the Niners and Aiyuk they reach a deal and tell him he is a key piece of the plan for the future. Then the draft happens, Deebo is traded, Aiyuk gets injured and is out meanwhile the team moves on. So he is butt hurt about how negotiations went, his treatment after injury and the obvious fact that Shanny seems to not care if he is coming back. So yeah there's that.

 

we have NO IDEA what to do w WR's since Ben left.

we have NO IDEA what to do with a defense since LeBeau left.

 

something, something, best ability is...something, something

 

He still received about 20 million I think and if I read correctly he will still get 25 million for 2025. They voided his 2026 money. Enough to live very well on for the rest of your life as long as you don't try and keep up with the billionaires. Either way, he is giving up an incredible amount of money for what seems to be laziness.

And I confess as to having been one who hoped he would come here. I just did not want him here at 30 million+ a year which is what looked like the number had to be for him.

 

I think it depends on what your primary motivation is as to taking less for rings. What is better, get paid 30 million for 17 games, or 20 million for 21 games and a ring? It is a lot of money either way, but when your time to earn big is a window of only a couple of years for most players.....the money might be the better option.

 

The scary part is Tomlin and/or Khan wanted him, or the agents were using the Steelers for a leverage move.

 

There will be a new OP to sign him starting around the beginning of FA

Right after the sign GP OP

 

Metcalf was not a free agent. The Steelers had to give up a 2nd round pick to trade for him.

 

In that case, I'd like to see Steelers dump Watt and Highsmith.... and acquire Maxx Crosby to go with Herbig in 2026.

 

Son of a B, I forgot that. Damn a second

 

The First Things First panel were saying today that Pickens getting a contract from the Cowboys is pretty iffy after his effort in the last couple of games.

 

A couple of thoughts here:

1. I'd like more information. Aiyuk and Shanahan never really got along. Money does not solve everything and he may have thought the big contract was going to cure the feelings he had about being there...it apparently did not.

2. A lot of the same people that will say "good thing we dodged the Aiyuk bullet" will also say "Steelers were dumb to get rid of Pickens". So, as the old saying goes...opinions are like assholes, everyone has one.

3. I wouldn't mind the Steelers making a run a Jennings to be the #2 with DK.

 

A lot
And I mean a lot wanted him
Not me

 

A zebra cannot change its stripes

 

I just assumed we will be giving him a call once his contract gets terminated and give him a chance to revive his career with a prove it deal.