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Español49ers GM John Lynch looking inward after ‘really sad' Brandon Aiyuk situation originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The 49ers’ union with Brandon Aiyuk clearly is coming to an end, which general manager John Lynch sees as a disappointment for both sides.
“The B.A. situation, it’s really sad,” Lynch said on “49ers Talk.” “I always look at myself, I look insular. I point the finger back at myself. What could we have done better to help that situation? And you try to learn that going forward and adjust going forward.”
Aiyuk has not played in an NFL game since Week 7 of the 2024 season, when he suffered a catastrophic knee injury which the team knew would keep him away from the game for at least a full calendar year.
The wideout was seen on the field working out along side of his fellow wide receivers during the 2025 NFL season, with a projected return of approximately Week 10. That game obviously came and went, and eventually there was no sign of Aiyuk around the facility while media had access.
During Lynch and Kyle Shanahan’s season-end review press conference, the head coach shared that he had lost contact with Aiyuk well before the end of the season.
“When I’m coaching, I don’t hang out in the training room at all,” Shanahan said. “So, I don’t see guys much that way. But, I’d say [communcation] officially stopped for me when the last time I tried to get ahold of him and couldn’t, and then tried a couple more times and still couldn’t.
“Then that matched everyone else that was trying to get ahold of him and couldn’t. And eventually there’s not much of an explanation because it’s really hard for us and anyone else to understand.”
The 49ers historically have had tenuous contract negotiations with their wide receivers, including hold-ins with both Deebo Samuel and Aiyuk. Then in 2025, Jauan Jennings sought a multi-year extension after leading the receiving room with 975 yards in 2024.
“The Jauan Jennings situation, we worked through that and we got a player who contributed in a huge way,” Lynch said.
The 49ers GM also believes that there have been several drawn out contract negotiations because they have had so many talented players that they have drafted and wanted to retain as their rookie contracts came to an end.
“I think we’ve been very fortunate that we’ve got a lot, and have had in our tenure, a lot of really talented players that have earned good things in their professional life in terms of being compensated,” Lynch said. “Those things aren’t always easy and I think maybe more focused on ours because we’ve had so many, too. I think we’ve been able to accomplish that.”
With that in mind, the 49ers’ next task is to work out a deal to keep Trent Williams with the team for the foreseeable future. The good news is that the 49ers will not have to procure a wide receiver extension at least until next season.