The San Francisco 49ers have begun a new season, but the months-long state of limbo with receiver Brandon Aiyuk still has no apparent end in sight.The 49ers opened training camp over the weekend with Aiyuk absent but still technically a member of the team despite his public agitation to be released. General manager John Lynch deflected questions about the situation Saturday, saying, “We’re going to focus on the players that are here.”Aiyuk, 28, has spent much of the summer criticizing Lynch, coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers on social media. The flood of posts followed months of speculation around if and when the team would release Aiyuk after the 49ers placed him on its seldom-used reserve/left squad list in December. Lynch said in January that Aiyuk would likely never play another snap for the 49ers, but the team hasn’t found a trade partner and hasn’t issued a timeline for when they plan to part with the receiver.“They mad ’cause they stupid, they dumb,” Aiyuk said in a June Instagram video. “They mad that they paid me $50 million in eight months.”Aiyuk has repeatedly said in these social media posts that he plans to sign with the Washington Commanders, a team that, at one point, seemed like a possible fit if the 49ers decided to release him. Commanders GM Adam Peters was the 49ers’ vice president of player personnel when San Francisco drafted Aiyuk, and Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is Aiyuk’s friend and former college teammate. Washington also has a relatively thin receiving corps heading into training camp, where veterans will report on Tuesday.Reached by text message on Friday, Aiyuk replied, “AP and DQ (Dan Quinn) quietly put together a SQAUD! I’m the final peice that will swing all the odds in our favor (trophy emoji) #GOCOMMANDERS #RAISEHAIL.”Prior to Aiyuk’s comments on social media, multiple sources with knowledge of the Commanders’ thinking said the team viewed him as a player who could potentially boost its roster if he became available and he was confirmed to be in full health.Those sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they do not have permission to speak publicly on the matter, said at the time that the Commanders had no intention of trading for Aiyuk, and that if the 49ers released him, Washington likely would have only considered a short-term, highly incentivized contract. If Aiyuk agreed to such a deal and performed anything like the receiver he was a few years ago, he’d provide a significant boost to Washington’s offense. If he didn’t, or if other issues arose, the Commanders would be able to move on without any significant loss.But the more Aiyuk has posted on social media, the more he has seemed to jeopardize his hopes of returning to an active NFL roster — including Washington’s.In a series of posts on July 4, Aiyuk appeared to take a swipe at Daniels.“‘5’ gonna text me talking about some, ‘You’re on my team, now. You follow my rules,’” Aiyuk said in a video on his Instagram account. “Boy, I’m a grown-ass man, boy. You gonna have to start running behind your momma and I might believe what you talking about. But until then, mmm-mmm.”Daniels, seemingly in response to Aiyuk’s message, shared an image of Houston Rockets forward and ardent Commanders fan Kevin Durant giving a thumbs-down to a fan earlier this year.3 players to watch at 49ers training campMatt BarrowsAlways a bit strained, the relationship between Aiyuk and the 49ers grew more so two years ago.According to team sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation for discussing internal matters, Aiyuk’s behavior began to change after he signed a four-year, $120 million contract in August 2024. That deal followed months of contentious negotiation, a near trade and an awkward training camp “hold-in” in which Aiyuk often became a sideline sideshow during practices. Aiyuk, who had a career-high 1,342 receiving yards and a gaudy 17.9-yard per-catch average in 2023, was seemingly consumed by social media upon returning to practice in 2024, and he got off to a sluggish start that season before damaging multiple ligaments in his knee during a Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.That injury brought more tension, according to the sources. Aiyuk began veering away from the team’s rehabilitation protocol soon after the surgery, failing to communicate with the team — a recurrent theme between Aiyuk and the 49ers — and preferring to rehabilitate on his own. That eventually led the team to take the unusual step in July 2025 of voiding the 2026 guaranteed money in Aiyuk’s contract, a move Aiyuk did not challenge through the NFL Players Association.On social media earlier this month, Aiyuk indicated that he surpassed his rehabilitation milestones despite missing formal sessions with the team.“We are 1 year from the date in which they made the decision to void my guarantees due to ‘missed rehab,’” he posted on July 7. “Yet they have the footage and the gps information that shows I reached markers I never hit even before injury. All before the recovery time required by the surgeon.”Aiyuk, who split with former agent Ryan Williams, remains on the 49ers’ reserve/left squad list. The designation allows the 49ers to retain his rights without him counting against the 90-player roster limit or the salary cap. To be moved off that list, Aiyuk must first submit a letter to the NFL player personnel department, addressing it to commissioner Roger Goodell and copying the 49ers, to request reinstatement to the team’s active list.Aiyuk has not made that request yet, and if he waits until after the Nov. 10 trade deadline, the 49ers can refuse the request. No player can be reinstated after his club’s Week 13 game, which is Dec. 6 for the 49ers.