Brandon Aiyuk’s future with the San Francisco 49ers remains unresolved as the team opens training camp, with no update from the organization and the next move appearing to rest with the wide receiver. The All-Pro pass catcher is still on the reserve/left squad list, where he has remained since the end of 2025, and the 49ers have offered no indication of a breakthrough.
Aiyuk missed all of last season amid a lengthy standoff with the franchise. To begin a potential return in 2026, he would likely need to apply to the NFL for reinstatement. He could also move the process forward by reporting to training camp or informing the 49ers that he plans to report.
Former NFL wide receiver Roddy White is the latest figure to criticize how the situation has been handled. White, who spent 11 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and finished his career with 10,863 receiving yards, argued that the 49ers failed Aiyuk during his recovery and may have hurt their own chances of getting value in return.
«I think this situation has been handled wrongly by the 49ers,» White told Hard Rock Bet. «They should’ve been more patient with Aiyuk and his situation. They should have done all they could to get him back on the field to give him an opportunity to show he can still play football. When you have a guy who is angry and just wants to leave, it’s hard to get any compensation for him.»
The tension between Aiyuk and San Francisco has been building for about a year. It reached a boiling point last July when the team voided the remaining guaranteed money in his contract after he failed to participate in rehab work for the torn ACL, MCL and meniscus in his right knee. Aiyuk has appeared to reference the uncertainty in multiple social media posts, adding to the public speculation about his next destination.
Last week, the 49ers brought back Deebo Samuel to fill the void left by Ricky Pearsall’s knee injury. The move appeared to draw a cryptic response from Aiyuk, who wrote on Instagram: «San Fran wanna see a real reunion?» His online posts have also taken aim at the NFL Players Association, widening the scope of his frustration beyond the team.
Aiyuk has expressed interest in joining the Washington Commanders, though that possibility has reportedly cooled after he called out quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels downplayed any lingering tension last week, telling reporters that the two had handled everything privately. Aiyuk and Daniels were teammates at Arizona State in 2019.
49ers general manager John Lynch made clear late last month that the organization is focused on the players already in camp. «I’m personally, and we as an organization, are going to focus on the players who are here,» Lynch said on July 25. «We wish him well, we wish his family well.»
Ricky Pearsall had entered camp looking like a potential breakout piece for San Francisco’s offense after injuries limited him to 20 games over his first two seasons. Instead, the receiving corps absorbed another setback when swelling returned in the PCL of his right knee, and he was moved to injured reserve on Aug. 1.
Aiyuk appeared in seven games in 2024 before being sidelined by injury. One year earlier, he put together the best season of his career, recording 1,342 receiving yards and earning second-team All-Pro honors. Those numbers are part of why his standoff with the 49ers has drawn so much attention, and why White believes the team should have done more to bring him back into the fold.
