San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch greets 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk before an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif.

It’s been nine days since the San Francisco 49ers have been allowed to unceremoniously move on from disgruntled receiver Brandon Aiyuk in a way that saves them both money and the headache of keeping him around. Yet he remains on the roster. Why? All signs point to pettiness. 

On March 11, the first day of the league’s new year, the Niners could have released Aiyuk in a way that would save them some salary cap space this year ($1.32 million) — albeit not until June 2 — and allow them to spread out the remaining money he’s owed over two seasons, instead of bearing the brunt of it all at once. The cut is called a post-June 1 designation and is often reserved for players with contracts the size of Aiyuk’s. While the 28-year-old receiver would have to wait until the late spring to officially become a free agent, teams interested in bringing Aiyuk on would know three months in advance that he’s available to sign.

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But rather than ending this saga........

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