Brandon Aiyuk Reportedly to Be Cut by 49ers, Salary Cap Impact and Potential Landing Spot Revealed

As expected, Brandon Aiyuk is set to become a free agent.

The San Francisco 49ers plan to release the veteran wide receiver as early as Wednesday, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner.

Wagoner added the 49ers are expected to use the post-June 1 designation for Aiyuk, which will allow them to spread out his $34.6 million dead cap charge over the next two years.

The Washington Commanders were cited by Wagoner as Aiyuk's "most likely" landing spot when he becomes a free agent.

Aiyuk's release comes just 19 months after he signed a four-year, $120 million extension with the 49ers in Aug. 2024.

His long-term future in San Francisco was still murky throughout the 2025 season, with Dianna Russini and Michael Silver of The Athletic reporting Nov. 21 that both sides were headed towards a "stunning divorce."

The 49ers voided the guaranteed money in Aiyuk's contract for 2026 after he "failed to attend meetings and declined to participate in other team activities" over several months, per Russini and Silver.

At the end of the season, 49ers general manager John Lynch told reporters that "it's safe to say he's played his last game as a Niner" when discussing Aiyuk.

He didn't play in 2025 while recovering from a torn ACL and MCL that he suffered just two months after agreeing to the extension, as San Francisco placed him on the reserve/left squad list on Dec. 13.

The 49ers selected the former Arizona State standout with a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, reeling in 269 catches for 3,931 yards and 25 touchdowns across his first four seasons with the team.

Aiyuk's time in San Francisco was highlighted by a 2023 campaign in which he recorded 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns on 75 receptions, earning Second Team All-Pro honors.

He struggled to begin the 2024 season, amassing a mere 374 yards in seven games before suffering the knee injury.

It isn't difficult to imagine Aiyuk generating plenty of interest in free agency, as teams could believe that a change of scenery will help him look like his former self.

The Commanders have frequently come up as a destination for Aiyuk given how much of their front office is made of former 49ers staffers, including general manager Adam Peters.

Aiyuk and Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels were also college teammates for one season at Arizona State in 2019.

Meanwhile, the 49ers' receiving corps will be centered around 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall and new free-agent addition Mike Evans.