The 49ers are officially squatting on Brandon Aiyuk. He’s not going to play for them, but they haven’t released him – hoping to perhaps pick up a draft pick for his services.
Aiyuk didn’t play at all last year. Nor was he even at the team facility, allowing the 49ers to void the remaining guarantees on his contract. That gives them the luxury of being able to leave him parked on their roster, perhaps picking up a later round draft pick from Aiyuk’s next team.
“Eventually will resolve itself,” Kyle Shanahan said at the owner’s meeting. “Hopefully we can get something for it. We’re in no rush. We have to do what’s right for the 49ers.”
Aiyuk and the team had a contentious standoff over his contract in 2024, with him sitting out most of camp. That affected his play early that year, and he played in only seven games before a torn ACL sidelined him after 10 games. His highlight that season was catching 8 passes for 147 yards against Arizona, but he finished with fewer than 50 yards in all six of his other games.
Aiyuk, however, played well enough in 2023 that there should be multiple teams that are interested in seeing where he’s at. Getting him on a prove-it deal could pay off in spades should he work his way back to anywhere close to where he was prior to his injury.
Back in 2023, Aiyuk caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and 7 TDs, averaging 17.9 yards per catch. And he did that on only 105 targets, making for off-the-charts efficiency. That’s an average of 12.8 yards per target. The league started tracking targets in 1992. Since that time, 1,186 wide receivers have had seasons with at least 100 targets. Aiyuk in the 2023 season averaged almost a yard more per target than any of them.
In the last 30-plus years, only 18 others have averaged even 11 yards per target (including Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jameson Williams last year).
| RECEIVERS AVERAGING 11 YARDS PER TARGET | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Yd/T |
| 2023 | Brandon Aiyuk, S.F. | 105 | 75 | 1,342 | 17.9 | 7 | 12.8 |
| 2023 | Nico Collins, Hou. | 109 | 80 | 1,297 | 16.2 | 8 | 11.9 |
| 1998 | Eric Moulds, Buff. | 116 | 67 | 1,368 | 20.4 | 9 | 11.8 |
| 2000 | Torry Holt, St.L. | 139 | 82 | 1,635 | 19.9 | 6 | 11.8 |
| 2011 | Victor Cruz, NYG | 131 | 82 | 1,536 | 18.7 | 9 | 11.7 |
| 2021 | Deebo Samuel, S.F. | 121 | 77 | 1,405 | 18.3 | 6 | 11.6 |
| 2022 | Jaylen Waddle, Mia. | 117 | 75 | 1,356 | 18.1 | 8 | 11.6 |
| 1992 | Michael Irvin, Dall. | 122 | 78 | 1,396 | 17.9 | 7 | 11.4 |
| 2021 | Ja'Marr Chase, Cin. | 128 | 81 | 1,455 | 18.0 | 13 | 11.4 |
| 2017 | Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 105 | 75 | 1,183 | 15.8 | 7 | 11.3 |
| 2020 | Justin Jefferson, Min. | 125 | 88 | 1,400 | 15.9 | 7 | 11.2 |
| 2000 | Randy Moss, Min. | 129 | 77 | 1,437 | 18.7 | 15 | 11.1 |
| 2005 | Santana Moss, Was. | 134 | 84 | 1,483 | 17.7 | 9 | 11.1 |
| 2018 | Mike Evans, T.B. | 138 | 86 | 1,524 | 17.7 | 8 | 11.0 |
| 2019 | Chris Godwin, T.B. | 121 | 86 | 1,333 | 15.5 | 9 | 11.0 |
| 2008 | Steve Smith, Car. | 129 | 78 | 1,421 | 18.2 | 6 | 11.0 |
| 2025 | • Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Sea. | 163 | 119 | 1,793 | 15.1 | 10 | 11.0 |
| 2021 | Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 107 | 73 | 1,175 | 16.1 | 8 | 11.0 |
| 2025 | • Jameson Williams, Det. | 102 | 65 | 1,117 | 17.2 | 7 | 11.0 |
Some of Aiyuk’s statistically goodness, of course, can be attributed to scheme. Both Kendrick Bourne and Ricky Pearsall averaged over 10 yards per target last year, and note that 2021 Deebo Samuel is the No. 6 player on the list above. Kyle Shanahan knows how to put together an offense.
But Aiyuk has some ability. NFL teams will definitely be kicking his tires.
Definitely should be stashed away in dynasty formats for the time being, I think. I don’t think he’ll be the big surprise pass catcher of the 2026 season, but if we’ve got 80 wide receivers rostered, I would think he should have one of those spots.
—Ian Allan
