Another day, and it’s another video on Instagram from San Francisco 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk. Nonetheless, the situation remains at a standstill with the player wanting out and the team wanting a trade rather than releasing him.
Despite videos coming out almost every day of the wideout enunciating he wants out of the Niners, Aiyuk hasn’t done much to officially force the team’s hand. On the June 25 edition of “NFL Live,” ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler shared the latest on Aiyuk.
“He’s lighting money on fire is what he’s doing every time he puts an Instagram video out right now,” Fowler said. “So he is on the left squad list for the 49ers still. To get off that list, he has to apply to Commissioner Roger Goodell.
“He has to file paperwork. I’m told that hasn’t happened. I’m told the 49ers haven’t given any sort of firm indication to him whether he’s going to be cut, traded, whatever. Teams I talked to say that he’s essentially untradeable right now.”
In the four seasons he’s played for the 49ers, Aiyuk has recorded 294 receptions for 4,305 receiving yards and has scored 27 touchdowns in 69 games, per StatMuse. Aiyuk missed the entire 2025 season due to a severe right knee injury—a torn ACL and MCL—that he suffered in 2024.
What Happens Once 49ers Do Release Brandon Aiyuk
Moreover, Fowler noted what will happen once the 49ers do eventually release him and potentially give the player his wish to join the Washington Commanders. Over the last few weeks, the wideout has made it clear that’s where he wants to sign next.
“I’ve talked to some people around the league who think that when he does get cut, if he gets cut, that he might have to sign a veteran minimum deal somewhere because of how all this has gone,” Fowler added.
“So it’s a buyer beware situation. Certainly, clearly, he wants to go to Washington. Washington’s not planning to sign a receiver right now. Maybe closer to training camp they revisit it. But the outlook is not great for him right now.”
George Kittle Gets Blunt on 49ers, Brandon Aiyuk Situation
Amid the situation with Aiyuk and the 49ers, George Kittle shared his thoughts during a June 22 appearance on “Pardon My Take.”
“The last time I saw Aiyuk was, call it Week 6, 7, or 8,” Kittle said. “I don’t really know [and] I used to make it a habit to go out early in the morning before meetings to watch him train because he always got there early. I watched him run over 22 miles per hour and stop on a dime.
“So he’s still got it, or at least that was eight months ago, so I don’t really know. But yeah, you guys have fun with that, I guess… I wouldn’t be happy either after a team paid me $130 million.”
With training camp a few weeks away, it will be interesting to see whether Aiyuk attempts to get reinstated or posts videos on Instagram expressing his unhappiness about still being with the Niners rather than the Commanders.
49ers, Commanders Get Major Brandon Aiyuk Update From Insider