For anyone hoping that Brandon Aiyuk would play at least this 2025 NFL season for the San Francisco 49ers, that ship has sailed. The latest reporting reveals that the Niners are closing this chapter with the wide receiver.

In the past month, they’ve faced three of the top four teams per defensive DVOA and averaged 22.6 points scored in those games. That’s good going when they’ve averaged just 15.5 points across the whole season. The 49ers are averaging 23.6 points per game, and with the Titans showing real signs of improvement, we should see the game total smashed.

The San Francisco 49ers will look to continue their push for the NFL playoffs when they host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. San Francisco (9-4) is hot on the tails of the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West, while Tennessee (2-11) is in contention to earn the first overall pick in next year's NFL Draft .

San Francisco 49ers DE Sam Okuayinonu had a great list featuring mostly his teammates for the NFL Top 100.

As the 49ers return from their bye and host the Tennessee Titans, the fantasy landscape for this matchup looks very different from what it would have earlier in the season. Tennessee, meanwhile, is still searching for rhythm with a rookie quarterback and a reshaped skill-position group that no longer includes Derrick Henry or DeAndre Hopkins.

Special teams delivering: Skyy Moore has come on to be the 49ers' best punt returner since John Taylor. Eddy Pineiro is healthy and locked in. The Niners are poor in field position on the year, ranking 31st, but in the closing stretch and the playoffs, special teams should be an asset. For once.

So if the Niners let him play out his contract, shake his hand, and watch him sign a solid $20-to-$30 (maybe $40) million-dollar deal elsewhere in free agency come the end of the 2026 season, the league office will essentially FedEx a third-round pick (fourth at worst) to Santa Clara. That’s money in the bank. That’s a free lottery ticket.