Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk's official release from the San Francisco 49ers seemed imminent with the start of the league new year back on March 11.
Yet that date passed, and Aiyuk still very much remains on the roster, albeit still associated with the reserve/left squad list where he ended last season after going AWOL from the team.
What's taking so long? Don't the Niners want to wipe their hands clean of the disgruntled receiver as swiftly as possible?
Well, not quite, apparently.
There are a couple of reasons why San Francisco is holding onto Aiyuk despite the rift between the two parties, and when one stops to think about it, they're both pretty petty.
49ers have reasons to keep Brandon Aiyuk around a little longer
Aiyuk has a $9.6 million option bonus due on Sept. 1, per Over the Cap, so that's more of the deadline to watch as opposed to the league's new-year start date.
Effectively, that means the 49ers truly don't have to be rid of the receiver until then.
The Niners must be fully aware of reports how the Washington Commanders are itching to sign Aiyuk and pair him with his good collegiate friend, quarterback Jayden Daniels. And the sooner San Francisco gives Aiyuk the boot, the sooner Commanders general manager Adam Peters makes the call.
The 49ers, who clearly felt burned by Aiyuk, have no reason to speed up that process and aid both Aiyuk and Washington getting acclimated with each other. Heck, that seemed to be Aiyuk's play all along, dating back to 2024 when he was negotiating with the Niners for that lucrative (and combative) contract extension.
In light of how toxic the relationship got, combined with that whole AWOL thing, San Francisco doesn't want to feel like it's "rewarding" Aiyuk by letting him go to sign with his team of choice.
This also helps explain why the 49ers are apparently seeking a seventh-round draft pick for Aiyuk, even though few teams would be willing to offer anything for the receiver in light of knowing the Niners are eventually going to give him the boot. San Francisco just wants to draw out the process as long as it can.
Petty? Yes. Understandable, though? Yes.
Do the 49ers care it's petty? Absolutely not. Should they? No.