There’s a simple fix for Brandon Aiyuk’s ugly 49ers divorce. It’s not on Instagram
Brandon Aiyuk took to social media Tuesday for the second time in the recent days few days and took direct aim at the San Francisco 49ers, again.
“You wanna know why they really mad though?” Aiyuk said on Instagram. “They mad ‘cus they stupid, they dumb. They mad that they paid me $50 million in eight months, and then voided my guarantees for 2027. And I’m about to be on a new team in 2027. They mad at themselves, for real.”
Tuesday afternoon’s post came days after calling the 49ers “little boys” and imploring them not to be a “female dog” or “little cat.”
Aiyuk is not helping himself, but we’ll get to that.
The eroded relationship between the former All-Pro receiver and the team that drafted him accelerated last summer when the 49ers voided the guarantees in Aiyuk’s contract beyond 2026 when he didn’t report to the team facility to continue rehabbing his torn ACL, MCL and meniscus suffered during an October 2024 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have said Aiyuk is no longer part of the equation, though he remains on the reserve/left squad list, meaning San Francisco continues to hold his rights.
Aiyuk hasn’t said what his exact grievance is. He never fought to retain the guarantees in his contract through the NFL Players Union. His name popped up in headlines before he took so social media in recent days for having a misdemeanor warrant issued for his arrest for speeding stemming from a video he posted on YouTube.
Aiyuk’s wanting to leave has been evident for some time. He posted a picture of himself days ago in a Washington Commanders hat, while the Commanders and their quarterback Jayden Daniels are two of the five accounts he follows on Instagram.
The thing is, the 49ers can hold on to Aiyuk for as long as they like. They could fine him $50,000 a day if he remains away from the team and effectively end his playing career by not releasing him or trading him. They control his future.
Suffice to say, he’s not operating from a position of strength.
How Aiyuk can actually help himself
All that could change if Aiyuk reports to the 49ers’ facility when training camp begins in late July. That’s his only leverage point.
Because by reporting, Aiyuk would force the 49ers’ hand, leading to a release and allowing him to join the Commanders if they want to sign him. Lynch and Shanahan have otherwise vowed to wait out Aiyuk to see if another team would be willing to trade the 49ers something for him.
No dice so far.
But Aiyuk’s trade value being at a low point doesn’t speed up their clock on making a decision. They can wait for as long as they want because even getting a seventh-round pick swap in 2031 is more valuable than releasing Aiyuk for nothing. If he’s not in the building, he’s not a distraction. Aiyuk’s teammates have already moved on beyond letting it impact the locker room. They went to the playoffs without him last year and signed future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans this spring.
So what’s Aiyuk accomplishing by bashing the 49ers repeatedly on social media?
Seemingly very little — particularly by calling the team “stupid” for signing him to a $120 million contract in 2024.
That aside, he’s getting his name in headlines that point out he’s in control of the situation. The saga could be over if he showed up for training camp, forced his release and allowing both sides to finalize this ugly divorce.
