George Kittle appeared on the "Bussin with the Boys" podcast and said this when asked what happened between reccevier Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers:

“The last time I saw Aiyuk, he was kind of at training camp, kind of not, and then he was in and out of the building throughout the first couple of weeks [of the season]. Then I started going out to see him in the weight room, because he didn’t go into the locker room or the training room anymore. He would just go into the weight room to do his rehab. ... I would go there and talk to him because he didn’t go to meetings or anything like that. I would just talk to him and let him know, ‘I’m your guy. Just letting you know I love ya.’ I started doing that Week 6, and then literally a week later that story came out about all the crazy stuff and then I didn’t see him again.

“It’s not something I bring up to [general manager] John Lynch or [head coach] Kyle Shanahan very often. I’m like, ‘That’s on you guys.’ And I just try to be there for the players if something is going on ... But I don’t know what’s going on with Brandon. I don’t know what he’s thinking about. So I really have no idea.”

The organization is in no hurry to release the 27-year-old Aiyuk, according to reports Tuesday, with the desire being a trade. Multiple rumors have him going to the Commanders if released, where he would reunite with quarterback Jayden Daniels, whom he played with at Arizona State.

My take: Because of conduct detrimental to the team — failure to be present at team and position meetings, and failure to follow rehab protocols for his knee injury — all of Aiyuk's guaranteed money was voided, so someone can take him on the cheap without long-term risk. The Niners will eat some dead cap — $35.5 million — if released, with $21.2 million in 2027 and $12.9 million in 2028, so it won't help to do post-June on him. Some team with a strong culture and locker room could take the chance ... or the Dolphins, who right now have only cardboard-cutout targets for shiny new toy Malik Willis.