“Could Brandon Aiyuk’s New Contract Signal a Trade Dilemma for the 49ers?”

As the tension mounts in the San Francisco 49ers’ front office, one can’t help but ponder the missed opportunities surrounding wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Once on the brink of a trade that would have sent him to the Steelers, a last-minute decision—championed by head coach Kyle Shanahan—turned the tide, keeping Aiyuk in the Bay Area. This decision, however, now looms large as a complicated contract hangs over the franchise like a storm cloud, particularly as Aiyuk continues to grapple with recovery from a significant ACL injury. With hefty financial commitments looming and trade options dwindling, the 49ers are left to wonder whether that impulsive choice was truly in their best interest. It’s a situation rife with irony and regret, serving as a stark reminder of the fragile nature of player contracts in the high-stakes world of the NFL. So, as we delve deeper into the implications of this situation, let’s explore how the 49ers find themselves in a predicament that has them wishing they’d gone through with the trade… LEARN MORE.

There’s another important wrinkle in the contract. As of Tuesday, a .95 million 2026 option bonus becomes fully guaranteed.Earlier today, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com pointed out that, once the 49ers pay Aiyuk a .85 million bonus due on Tuesday, “any trade talks would be off.” But they were never on, given that a new team would have to pay that amount to a player who might or might not be ready to go in 2026.The 49ers are surely wishing they’d traded receiver Brandon Aiyuk when they had the chance.Could the 49ers simply cut their losses and move on from Aiyuk, before the extra .95 million vests? Nope. Because Aiyuk currently can’t pass a physical, and because the payment is already guaranteed for injury, they’d still owe him the money, even if they cut him.They could have. It was happening. Aiyuk was about to be a Steeler. Then, he expressed a willingness to accept the 49ers’ best offer on a long-term deal, and coach Kyle Shanahan literally ran upstairs to keep the trade from going through.

With Aiyuk still recovering from the ACL tear, and given that he wasn’t exactly tearing it up before the injury, no one would take on his deal at this point.So, yeah, the 49ers regret this one. Whether they’ll ever admit it is a different issue. Then again, do they need to?The end result was a contract that now ties the 49ers’ hands. No other team will be taking on the balance of the deal, given Aiyuk’s injury.