49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk loses $27M in guarantees due to ‘unusual’ contract void

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) – San Francisco 49ers injured receiver Brandon Aiyuk had approximately $27 million in guaranteed money voided in his contract for next year in what coach Kyle Shanahan described as an “unusual” situation that developed over the summer.

The Athletic reported Friday that Aiyuk had his guarantees voided because he failed to participate in meetings and other team activities and that he didn’t plan to contest it. Shanahan wouldn’t get into specifics but said the move by the team happened in July.

“It takes a lot of things to get a contract voided,” Shanahan said Saturday. “I don’t even know, honestly, I’ve never dealt with that in my career or been in any building that’s had that. So it was unusual, but that’s stuff that I can’t get into right now.”

Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million extension last year that included about $27 million of guaranteed money for 2026. Now the 49ers could cut him next year without paying him any more money.

San Francisco would need to carry about $29.6 million of dead money charges on the salary cap for bonuses already paid but they could split that over two years.

Aiyuk has been out all season recovering from knee surgery last year and there is no timeline for when he could return. Shanahan said over the summer that Aiyuk could be back on the practice field by early November, but he has remained on the physically unable to perform list.

Shanahan said Aiyuk has not been medically cleared to play.

“I knew it was going to be a while for him to come back. I was hoping to get him back around this time and we’ve kind of been going about that,” Shanahan said. “Like coaching the team, I don’t really deal much with injured players. I was told a few weeks ago he was getting closer and we haven’t made progress in that way so far. So, from my standpoint, I’m just waiting for him to get back to practice.”

Aiyuk signed the lucrative extension last summer following a lengthy contract hold-in that kept him out of training camp. He was coming off a 2023 season when he had 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven TDs and was a second-team All-Pro.

Aiyuk had only 25 catches for 374 yards in seven games last season before getting injured. He has been paid about $48 million the past two seasons for that production.

The 27-year-old Aiyuk has 294 catches for 4,305 yards and 25 TDs since being drafted in the first round in 2020.

Kicker Eddy Pineiro (right hamstring) and linebacker Tatum Bethune (ankle) were ruled out for Monday night’s game against Carolina. The Niners will promote Matt Gay from the practice squad to kick and will likely promote another linebacker with Stone Blanton and Jalen Graham the options.

Defensive end Robert Beal is doubtful with a concussion and linebacker Luke Gifford is questionable with injuries to his hip and neck.