The San Francisco 49ers' 2025 season officially came to an end on Saturday night with a 41-6 loss in the Divisional Round to the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks, who flat-out dominated Kyle Shanahan's squad in every facet of the game.
While we could sit here and pinpoint every single thing that went wrong against Seattle—and there was obviously a lot—but what's done is done, and the Niners simply have to turn their attention toward the offseason and hope they can put together a roster that will once again put them back in the playoff mix next season.
That roster, of course, could look a bit different, as San Francisco has more than 25 players set to enter some sort of free agency.
But in looking at a few 49ers who won't be back for the 2026 campaign, we obviously have to start with a player who will undoubtedly be cut or traded in the very near future.
These 49ers players likely won't return in 2026
Brandon Aiyuk, WR
We'll kick things off with the obvious, as there is absolutely no way that Brandon Aiyuk ever takes another snap in a Niners uniform.
Named a second-team All-Pro for the 2023 season after catching 75 passes for 1,342 yards with seven touchdowns, the Arizona State alum was actually nearly traded due to a contract dispute but was ultimately given a four-year, $120 million contract extension ahead of the 2024 campaign, with $76 million in guaranteed money.
But just seven games into the '24 season, Aiyuk suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee, and he hasn't seen the field since. There was hope he could return around the midway point of this '25 campaign, but things took a nasty turn when it was reported that he'd stopped coming to the facility and communicating with the team, thus prompting the Niners to void the remaining guaranteed money in his contract.
Aiyuk will suit up at some point in 2026, but it won't be in San Francisco.
Spencer Burford, OL
A fourth-round pick of the 49ers in 2022, Spencer Burford started 32 games between the regular season and postseason over the first two years of his career but was relegated to a backup role in his third year.
He remained a backup coming into the 2025 campaign, and the only reason he got the starts he did after spending roughly two months on injured reserve is because Ben Bartch suffered a season-ending injury and Connor Colby wasn't cutting it.
But it's not as if Burford made much of the opportunity, as he earned just a 58.9 overall PFF grade. So, it's time for San Francisco to move on.
Brian Robinson Jr., RB
While the 49ers would seemingly love to keep Brian Robinson Jr. on the roster to back up Christian McCaffrey, one would assume that Robinson would prefer to go to a team with which he could legitimately compete for a starting job.
He was, after all, the top back in each of his three seasons with the Washington Commanders before being dealt to San Francisco.
There were times throughout this season the Niners didn't use him as much, but the 26-year-old runner was still able to put together a solid season for a backup, ultimately rushing for 400 yards and two touchdowns. Robinson also added 378 yards as a kick returner, averaging 29.1 yards per return.
If the Niners do end up keeping him, you can say goodbye to Isaac Guerendo. But given the cost difference between the two, expect Robinson to be playing elsewhere next season.
Yetur Gross-Matos, EDGE
Moving to the defensive side of the football, we come to Yetur Gross-Matos.
Now, when the Niners brought the former second-rounder in ahead of the 2024 season to back up Nick Bosa, it honestly seemed like a pretty smart move, as he'd made 32 starts during his four-year run with the Carolina Panthers.
But the fact of the matter is that while Gross-Matos has had some decent outings here and there in San Francisco, he's simply been far too inconsistent and undoubtedly far too unreliable, missing 15 games over the past two years.
If the 49ers are looking to add some backup help on the edge this offseason, it'd be cheaper to do so in the draft. And if we're being honest, the production they'll get from that draft pick would likely be more than what Gross-Matos would do anyway.
Jason Pinnock, S
The signing of safety Jason Pinnock ahead of the 2025 season seemed like a bit of a bargain, as the Niners got the four-year veteran for just $2.2 million, which certainly isn't bad for a guy with 46 career starts to his name.
But it quickly became clear why San Francisco got him for so cheap, as the former fifth-rounder was benched after five weeks in favor of Ji'Ayir Brown. His versatility is nice, as he has the ability to play both safety and cornerback, but he wasn't given a lot of opportunities down the stretch unless absolutely necessary, as he seemed to fall out of favor with Robert Saleh.
Pinnock earned an abysmal 49.2 overall PFF grade during the regular season, ranking 90th among 98 eligible safeties. Like it goes with Gross-Matos, the 49ers would be better off going with a late-round rookie to fill his role rather than bringing him back.