Overview
- ESPN’s Nick Wagoner reported the 49ers intend to release Brandon Aiyuk after the new league year begins, using a post–June 1 designation to manage the cap hit.
- Schefter countered that the team is not planning to cut him anytime soon and may wait through the draft or until June to see if a trade materializes.
- Multiple reports identify the Commanders as the most likely destination on a one-year prove-it deal, noting Aiyuk’s ties to GM Adam Peters and former college teammate Jayden Daniels.
- General manager John Lynch previously said it was safe to say Aiyuk had played his last snap for San Francisco, following a torn ACL/MCL in 2024 and a 2025 season lost to disputes over rehab and team activities.
- Cap analysts say a post–June 1 move would spread dead money across seasons and create larger savings in later years as the 49ers pivot to a receiver group headlined by Mike Evans and Ricky Pearsall.