Damn, Daniel, Brandon Aiyuk is back at it again with the white Vans, or cryptic social media activity for those who don't get the reference. The San Francisco 49ers' star wide receiver is ostensibly still upset despite having his financial demands met after a dragged-out, well-chronicled stalemate last offseason. Will we ever put this situation fully behind us?
Judging by Aiyuk's choice of words on his YouTube channel, and contrary to what he said once the 49ers paid him, the hard feelings remain. A four-year, $120 million contract extension seemingly wasn't enough to mend fences once and for all. San Francisco temporarily fixed the problem with money, but reopened the can of worms by exploring the possibility of trading the 27-year-old this offseason. Now what?
Brandon Aiyuk's cryptic message suggests tension between him and the 49ers lingers
"They was talking bout trading me while I was off percocets/muscle relaxers and peeing in a cup by my bed!" Aiyuk wrote, presumably talking about the Niners. "Couldn’t walk for 10 weeks ain’t nobody trading for me."
What we should be asking is why Aiyuk regularly posts on his YouTube channel and why there are so many people lurking in the comments? This is some deep, Reddit-thread adjacent stuff we're talking about here. Nonetheless, hate it or love it, we watched it happen; that's all we could do.
Jokes aside, Aiyuk isn't happy that the Niners tried moving him while rehabbing from a torn ACL and MCL he suffered in Week 7 of last year. On one hand, it's fair to be upset about San Fran trying to move on before triggering his $22.85 million roster bonus for 2025. On the other hand, the former All-Pro is compensated handsomely to deal with these things; it's the cost of doing business.
Yet, Aiyuk holds a grudge against San Francisco for their months-long negotiations and attempting to dump him before it's time to collect a check. He even responded to one of the members of the 49er Faithful who replied to his puzzling message.
Aiyuk called it "lame" that the fan expressed belief that the wideout remains "focused" on his recovery and returning "as the best version of [himself]." Talk about a terrible way to build a sense of community and personal connection with those who support you and the team.
Yes, the matter was ultimately resolved, but it took Aiyuk playing hardball. Even then, San Fran didn't budge until a couple of weeks before the 2024 regular season. Moreover, the buyer's remorse was made apparent by the 49ers reportedly shopping him; this is a disaster waiting to happen.