Aiyuk has been slated to leave San Francisco for months now after the team placed him on the reserve/left field roster in December. Lynch admitted in January that it was “safe to say” that Aiyuk had played that he ended up as a Norwegian, but the months that have passed have done nothing to dampen the 49ers’ interest in getting something for the wide receiver after not getting anything from him in 2025.
“Not anytime soon,” Lynch said when asked if he planned to release Aiyuk.
It marks the third consecutive season that Aiyuk has become a fixture in trade speculation. In 2024, he requested a trade and attended training camp before signing a long-term extension, a deal that did not prevent San Francisco from being open to trading him in the 2025 offseason as he recovered from a torn ACL. Now, in 2026 – after Aiyuk never took the field last season and the relationship between the players and the team deteriorated – Aiyuk seems to be destined for a new team again.
Although Lynch has indicated he’s open to finding a trade partner, the 49ers may want to wait a few more months to commit to someone.
They voided the guaranteed money owed to Aiyuk in 2026 but would still receive 29.6 million in dead money for the upcoming season by trading him before June 1, according to Over the Cap . In a post-June 1 trade, they would only take on $8.3 million.
For now, the Niners continue with a revamped WR room, having drafted De’Zhaun Stribling at no. 33 overall to partner with new addition Mike Evans and third-year wideout Ricky Pearsall.
Lynch waits for a call.
Following the draft, some team with a deficit at wide receiver could eventually pick up the phone.