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Aiyuk Leaves 49ers, Pursues Commanders After Season-Ending Knee Injury

7/25/2026

25 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Brandon Aiyuk announced he will not reinstate with the 49ers.
He said he wants to join the Washington Commanders.
He tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus seven games into the 2024 season.
The 49ers voided $27 million of his 2026 salary guarantees in July 2025.
They placed him on the reserve/left squad list in December 2025 after he went AWOL, resulting in no pay.

History

Historical Context

After the 130-day 2011 lockout, the NFL-NFLPA agreement introduced stricter salary-cap penalties for cutting injured players and earmarked $50 million for medical research. That health-focused framework echoes earlier labor battles such as the 1982 strike over revenue-share demands and the 1996 introduction of poison-pill clauses, later barred by the 2011 CBA, shaping today’s contract-guarantee strategies across the league.

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Story summary

Brandon Aiyuk announced he will not reinstate with the 49ers.
He said he wants to join the Washington Commanders.
He tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus seven games into the 2024 season.
The 49ers voided $27 million of his 2026 salary guarantees in July 2025.
They placed him on the reserve/left squad list in December 2025 after he went AWOL, resulting in no pay.

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