The Precedent the 49ers Would Set if They Release Brandon Aiyuk Now

Technically, the 49ers could have released Brandon Aiyuk weeks ago, but they didn't.

John Lynch has said that Aiyuk never will play another snap for the 49ers. They know he's worthless in a trade. They seem to think he's damaged goods who didn't take his rehab seriously and is a negative influence in the locker room. And yet, they refuse to release him, at least for now.

The reasoning is two-fold. One, if the 49ers release Aiyuk, he will sign with the Washington Commanders, who will face the 49ers at Levi's Stadium in Week 6. Why give Aiyuk extra time with his new team, a team the 49ers have to play?

Two, releasing Aiyuk would create a bad precedent for future players who decide they don't want to play for the 49ers anymore. If Aiyuk gets released, others simply can throw a fit and force their way off the 49ers if they want to. That's what many analysts and fans have said.

Let's address each argument.

First, if the 49ers truly think Aiyuk is a toxic presence with a ruined knee, why would they care when the Commanders get him? Wouldn't they want Aiyuk to spend as much time as possible with the Commanders this offseason so he can ruin their cohesive locker room, theoretically?

Second, Aiyuk's standoff with the 49ers is unprecedented. It doesn't apply to other players.

The 49ers reluctantly signed him while they were in the process of trading him to the Steelers. Kyle Shanahan stopped the trade at the last minute. And Aiyuk reluctantly signed the extension after staring at the offer for weeks.

Neither side particularly liked the other. And when Aiyuk injured his knee, both sides wanted a divorce. So Aiyuk gave back $26 million in guarantees just so the 49ers could release him. That's how motivated he was to leave.

And that's the only precedent releasing Aiyuk would create. If future players want out of Santa Clara, they can let the 49ers void $26 million or more in guarantees just like Aiyuk did. How many players actually are willing to do that? Not many.

Of course, why would future players want to force their way off the 49ers? They're a top-notch organization that treats its players well, right? Aiyuk is the one exception, right?

The 49ers should be eager to move on from this standoff as soon as possible. It's a distraction that could become a circus. End it. Move on.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/49ers/onsi as The Precedent the 49ers Would Set if They Release Brandon Aiyuk Now.

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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 2:30 PM.