For the past several months, it was assumed by most that Brandon Aiyuk had played his final snap with the San Francisco 49ers, what with him basically going AWOL after the team voided the guaranteed money on his contract for the 2026 season for failing to meet certain obligations during the rehab process for the knee injury he suffered midway through the 2024 campaign.
And this past Wednesday, Niners general manager John Lynch confirmed as such, saying, "Sometimes, it just doesn't work out."
Whether Aiyuk will be traded or just flat-out released is yet to be determined, but regardless of which scenario ends up playing out, San Francisco simply has to move on.
But the loss of Aiyuk certainly isn't the only issue the 49ers have to deal with as it pertains to the wide receiver position this offseason, as Jauan Jennings is set to become an unrestricted free agent, as is Kendrick Bourne. Lynch has made it clear that re-signing Jennings is a top priority, but even if that happens, the Niners would still need to add a deep threat, which Jennings really isn't, as his 11.7 yards per reception ranked in a tie for 80th among all pass-catchers during the 2025 regular season.
By comparison, Aiyuk averaged 15.0 yards per catch in 2024 before his injury and 17.9 yards per reception in his second-team All-Pro season in 2023.
Now, there is a deep-threat option out there for San Francisco to pursue, if it so chooses; one who's actually led the league in yards per catch in each of the last two seasons.
That option being Alec Pierce.
Alec Pierce could be the deep threat 49ers could bring in to replace Brandon Aiyuk
A second-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2022, Pierce was solid over his first two seasons, catching a combined 73 passes for 1,107 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 15.2 yards per reception. But over the last two seasons, he's stepped up his game something fierce.
In 2024, while the Cincinnati alum tallied just 37 catches, those 37 catches went for 824 yards, which averaged out to a whopping 22.3 yards, which led the NFL.
And seven of those 37 grabs went for touchdowns.
In 15 games in 2025, Pierce caught a career-high 47 passes for a career-best 1,003 yards and six touchdowns, with his 21.3-yard average again leading the league. His campaign looks even more impressive by the fact that the 25-year-old was credited with just one drop on 84 targets.
Pierce will undoubtedly have plenty of suitors in free agency, likely including the Colts, but this is an option the 49ers should certainly consider. Ricky Pearsall has the ability to be this type of deep threat, but he's had a lot of trouble staying healthy. Bourne was actually the Niners' best deep threat in 2025, ranking in a tie for 16th in the league at 14.9 yards per catch, but there's no guarantee he'll be back.
Pierce could conceivably cost the 49ers some cash, as Spotrac projects him to receive a four-year deal worth $80,996,324.
But with some WR2s inching closer to $25 million or even $30 million per season these days, a little over $20 million per year for a player of this caliber might very well be worth it.