It seems all but certain that the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk are headed for a split after he was placed on the reserve/left team list, which means he cannot return for the regular season.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan's words after Sunday's game only cemented that fate further.
When asked about Aiyuk, Shanahan said the following, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic:
"We haven’t seen him in forever. I haven’t seen him in a month, and the same with our team. So (putting him on the reserve/left team list) hasn’t been an issue with our team at all. We’ve kind of been plugging away, and it’s no big deal. It’s just something we’ve been used to for a while."
Shanahan then said, "I literally haven’t had to think about B.A. or had a reason to think about him in a long time."
Ouch.
It has seemed for a while now that the two sides were headed for a split, but Shanahan can be notoriously blunt if he is not in a great move, and his words speak to how he is not thrilled about how this situation has played out.
It is important to remember that Shanahan was the guy imploring the front office to not trade Aiyuk when the Niners were looking for a resolution after contract negotiations stalled and Aiyuk requested a trade. Shanahan has to feel a bit betrayed, and maybe even slightly embarrassed, that this situation has gotten so bad even though he stuck his neck out for Aiyuk.
Thankfully, Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings stepped up on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans and made Aiyuk's absence much easier to swallow, but there is still a chance the 49ers will miss Aiyuk more than they may care to admit.
San Francisco's wide receiver depth chart could definitely get a bit hairy next season since the Niners only have guys like Pearsall, who has been oft-injured, Demarcus Robinson, who has not done much, and Jacob Cowing, who has been oft-injured and hasn't done much, under contract for next season if they do not make any additions or bring anyone back.
For now, though, the 49ers have to contend with reality without Aiyuk. Their offense has been mostly fine without him this season, but Shanahan all but putting a nail in any hopes of a reconciliation have brought the Aiyuk era to an end in San Francisco.