At this point, there's a clear end to the saga that's played out between the San Francisco 49ers and disgruntled wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk: he'll no longer be on the roster at some point in the relatively near future.
Probably by Sept. 1 when his option bonus is due.
The Niners aren't urgently aiming to release him, not after Aiyuk ghosted his team last year and effectively went AWOL. That'd almost be doing him a favor at this point. Yet other teams, notably the Washington Commanders, aren't willing to trade for the receiver when they know Aiyuk will ultimately be released.
It's a classic stalemate. And with Aiyuk missing in action, it's hard to tell exactly where he's at with all of this.
That said, The Athletic's Matt Barrows and Nicki Jhabvala proposed a unique solution that sounds completely out of this world.
But it might be the most effective thing to do.
The Athletic proposes Brandon Aiyuk to 'show up for work'
The opposite of being AWOL is showing up as expected. And if going AWOL has been met with dreadful results, including San Francisco both voiding his guaranteed money for 2026 and saying he'd never play another down with the franchise again, getting back into the facility might generate a far better outcome.
That's what both Barrows and Jhabvala proposed in a blunt statement that read, "Maybe Aiyuk’s most effective move is something he failed to do last season — show up for work."
Granted, the damage to the relationship between player and team is likely too far to be repaired at this point, but there are benefits.
First, it's a good-faith measure by Aiyuk. It'd help show at least some commitment to football and a willingness to bridge gaps, which would-be suitors like the Commanders ultimately need to see before investing in him.
On top of that, even if Aiyuk's gameday tenure with the 49ers is done, having him participate in drills and practices would at least allow both sides to showcase a full recovery from his 2024 ACL and MCL tears, plus the added bonus of featuring him in football shape.
Teams would pay attention to that, too.
For the Niners, they may soften their hardline approach with Aiyuk a little bit and perhaps consider a release a bit earlier than the Sept. 1 deadline, provided he executes a good-faith measure by showing up.
For Aiyuk, he'd get a jump on the 2026 season, at least physically, while also taking the more mature stance.
Would any of that happen, though? At this point, nothing is too surprising.
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