Getty 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk
What a morning for 49ers star receiver Brandon Aiyuk. And the irony is, he became the focal point of NFL chatter on Twitter/X despite the fact that he did not actually do anything.
For a quick recap: It is no secret that the 49ers and Aiyuk are locked in a tense negotiation for a new contract, one in which very little progress has been reported. The situation started ugly, with those around Aiyuk hinting he would leave the 49ers almost immediately after the Super Bowl, and got uglier in the last two months, culminating with Aiyuk taking the ultimate “this-will-show-’em” action in any player-team standoff: He unfollowed the 49ers on Instagram.
Perhaps trying to get ahead of the game, some fringe reporters began claiming that sources indicated that Aiyuk either has demanded or would be demanding a trade as soon as Monday. One of the prime purveyors of the rumor was self-proclaimed insider John Frascella, who wrote, “Brandon Aiyuk has officially requested a trade from the 49ers, per confirmation from my San Francisco source.”
But there was Aiyuk’s agent, Ryan Williams of the Athletes First agency, to smack down all the nonsense. And Williams needed only four words, posting his response: “You need better sources.”
49ers Could Stand Pat and Force a Holdout
Ouch.
Certainly, speculation about Aiyuk is high these days, especially as he appears to be taunting the 49ers into either paying him or trading him away. Aiyuk is coming off a terrific season in which he established himself as one of the best receivers in the game. He totaled 1,342 yards on 75 catches, and was second in the NFL with an average of 17.9 yards per catch.
He was the No. 2 wide receiver in the NFL on Pro Football Focus’s grading system, logging a 91.5 grade for the 2023 season.
Aiyuk is signed on his fifth-year option, at $14 million. Lynch said the 49ers would be willing to let him play under that option, though it is very likely that Aiyuk would hold out for a long-term deal if that was the team’s approach.
Spotrac projects Aiyuk for a contract at $23 million per year, and expects him to warrant an extension of four years and $92 million.
Brandon Aiyuk Acts Like He Wants Out
Still, while no trade demand is imminent, according to Williams’ post, there is no doubt that Aiyuk has not been subtle in registering his displeasure with the team. He has, in fact, been oddly aggressive in pronouncing his unhappiness, even though we are still very early in the negotiation process.
Earlier this month, after general manager John Lynch spoke to the media at the annual owners’ meetings in Orlando, and said it was his intention to re-sign Aiyuk and that there has been no movement on trade talks, Aiyuk went to Instagram for a plain all-emoji message.
The first symbol was a dollar sign, followed by a talking emoji. Then came an image of a bull and a “poop” emoji. That was followed by a walking symbol.
The message, roughly translated: “Money talks, BS walks.”
Before that, amid heavy rumors that the Steelers were interested in a trade, Aiyuk went to Twitter/X and posted a message to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, to whom Aiyuk bears a resemblance, writing, “They saying we twins. What you think?”
In the wake of the Super Bowl loss, those within the star receiver’s inner circle quickly began questioning his return to the 49ers. Aiyuk’s close friend Draysean Hudson pointed out that Aiyuk had only three catches in the Super Bowl and added, “This is the exact reason why we leaving San Francisco.”
Aiyuk, when asked about that message from his friend, did not deny it and was noncommittal when talking about his 49ers future. So, yes, a trade request might be coming. But it’s not coming now.