Brandon Aiyuk issued another cryptic message to the San Francisco 49ers as he looks to do everything possible to get his release. Meanwhile, the Niners are standing firm, preferring a trade to letting him go at this moment.
There’s speculation that the Washington Commanders have an interest in him, and Aiyuk has made it clear that playing in the nation’s capital is his preferred destination to continue his NFL career.
Nonetheless, Larry Krueger of KNBR believes that the Niners should continue playing hardball with their wide receiver and not release him until they have to, as the player is putting out messages on social media but isn’t taking steps to force the Niners into a decision right now.
“If there’s a 1 percent chance that he would go to Washington and potentially beat [the 49ers] in Week 6 [on Oct. 19], why would they take that chance if they don’t have to?” Krueger said on the June 14 edition of “The Krueg Show.”
“Why would you take a 1 percent chance that you’re going to lose if you don’t have to? So, I think they ought to continue playing hardball with him. That’s how I look at it.
“He played hardball with them. He kind of tucked his tail on the team. He’s eventually going to get to have another chapter of his career in Washington. The Niners are under no obligation to fulfill that dream on his timeline. They should do what’s in their best interest, and what’s in their best interest is to not have Aiyuk on the Commanders in Week 6 beating them.”
49ers Should Wait to the Last Possible Minute to Cut Brandon Aiyuk
Moreover, Krueger notes that the Niners are likely to cut Aiyuk once they finalize their 53-man roster for the season, and that’s if the player doesn’t do anything to force the team into an early decision.
“I’d rather release him at the cut down,” Krueger added. “When I’ve got a pretty good idea of what my receiving corps looks like, I’ve got a pretty good idea of what my roster looks like. I got a pretty good idea that he’s not going to come out of nowhere and beat me in six weeks from that point. Or if I’m really concerned about losing the game because of Aiyuk with some triumphant comeback at Levi’s, then I’ll just hold him until Week 6.
“Hey, Commanders, you want him? Offer me something. Otherwise, I’m going to keep him until Week 6. If you’re not going to make it worth my while, why am I making this move? Why am I helping you beat me if you’re not going to make it worth my while?”
Niners Have a Right to Feel Petty Towards Brandon Aiyuk
During a June 10 appearance on CBS Sports HQ, Leger Douzable shared his thoughts on the situation, noting that the Niners are indeed being petty with Aiyuk.
Despite calling the 49ers petty, Douzable noted that he understands why the team is taking this path with Aiyuk. San Francisco paid Aiyuk and never got back anything in return for making that decision.
“So he was injured,” Douzable said. “He missed half of 2024 with the injury and then missed all of last year with the injury as well. So the 49ers again haven’t got a return on their investment, and they felt like they maybe shouldn’t have paid him.
“But my thing is you can’t have buyer’s remorse, and if you’re going to move on, why keep this dark cloud around the 49ers where players have to answer this question? The GM has to answer this question. The head coach has to answer this question. I understand being a little petty, but it’s gone way too far. Just release the guy.”
49ers Get Blunt Brandon Aiyuk Message Amid Commanders Speculation