In what has been a wild ongoing saga for 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, this week saw some very interesting updates. The latest of those updates could be indicating an end to the troubled partnership as Aiyuk advertises that his talents could be “coming to an endzone near (you)” (via his Instagram account).
The social media post is one of a few from within the past week that have drawn critical reactions from the public. Last Sunday, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, Aiyuk posted a video on Instagram with a caption that read, “If you scared just say dat.” In the video, though Aiyuk didn’t name them specifically, he seemed to be referring to the 49ers organization as afraid “little boys” and “female dogs.” In the video, Aiyuk tried to imply that the team is afraid to release him in fear that he might make them regret it.
The taunt could ultimately prove to be true, but at the moment, it didn’t hold much weight in light of the fact that Aiyuk’s own actions have put the 49ers in a position from which they don’t benefit from releasing him. After Aiyuk failed to show up for rehabilitation sessions for the torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus in his right knee, the team placed him on the reserve/left team list. Because Aiyuk did not follow the team’s protocol or recovery plan, the team voided the remaining guaranteed money on his contract at the time. As he remains on the reserve/left team list, Aiyuk does not have to be paid and does not count against the teams 90-man roster.
Eventually, if Aiyuk does not report for training camp, the team could then move him to the reserve/did not report list and begin fining him up to $50K per day. Until he returns to the facility and starts earning a paycheck again, though, San Francisco has no motivation to do anything with him. While there’s seemingly been nothing but contention between the two sides for several months, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes that they could be close to turning the page.
Aiyuk recently deleted the previously mentioned Instagram post calling the team scared and another that criticized the team, and Florio believes those actions could be akin to the extension of an olive branch. Aiyuk soon after posted the video about “coming to an endzone near” an as of yet undetermined destination, hinting that the olive branch gesture may have pushed things in the right direction.
If so, it’s an ideal time for Aiyuk to come to an agreement with the team. Now that the June 1 deadline has passed, any trade or release by the 49ers would allow them to split up the dead money owed to Aiyuk over the next two years instead of all in 2026. As Aiyuk has made his opinions clear on social media, Washington has become the presumed preferred destination for the 28-year-old. By joining the Commanders, Aiyuk would be reuniting with quarterback Jayden Daniels, who threw him eight touchdowns in his final season at Arizona State.
Unfortunately for San Francisco, the Commanders have already made it clear that they are not interested in trading for Aiyuk. In fact, the Niners have called him “untradeable,” so Aiyuk’s future would likely have to be determined as a free agent. According to Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS, though, the Commanders are interested in his services, so if things get worked out for Aiyuk to hit the open market and sign a new free agent deal, his long-awaited move could be in the works.