SPORTS UPDATE
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyukmay have already played his last game with the team. Aiyuk was expected to return to the field at some point this season after recovering from a devastating knee injury suffered last year, but as the season starts to wind down, things have only gotten more murky.
According to CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones, San Francisco voided Aiyuk’s guaranteed money for the 2026 season during training camp for not meeting the requirements of his contract extensions signed in August 2024, worth $120 million over four years. Aiyuk’s contract included an option bonus worth $24.935 million, which originally became guaranteed on April 1, but is now void. It’s unclear if the 49ers will pay his $1.215 million base salary and bonuses for workouts and per-game appearances.
Aiyuk has been missing from the gridiron since suffering a right knee injury in October 2024. He tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus against the Kansas City Chiefsin Week 7 last season. The team had initially hoped to get him back to practice around midseason. however, the clock is winding down with six regular-season games left.
“Brandon’s just week-to-week,” Niners coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Monday. “When he had such a big injury like that, just waiting until he is fully comfortable to come up and start practicing.”
