You can say this for Brandon Aiyuk, he has at least been clear about his wishes.
The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver continued his campaign for a way out of the team, and onto the Washington Commanders, on Wednesday with a series of posts on his Instagram story. They began with a caption reading “I’m a lover I ain’t with the hating,” a selfie with Future’s “Unconditional Love” playing and a picture of Deion Sanders in a Washington uniform.
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His next posts featured a football with a Commanders logo and the following captions:
“The best sport in the world The best league in the world n the best team in the world”
“And I almost forgot.. The best WR in the world”
It’s not hard to read between the lines there.
Aiyuk proceeded to post a video in which he basically challenged the Niners to cut him so he can move to the Commanders:
“And if I’m crazy or if I’m capping, tell them boys cut me today and I’ll sign with the Commanders tomorrow and we’ll see who’s capping.”
So that’s what Aiyuk has been up to, in addition to having a warrant issued for his arrest. He has previously posted criticisms of the 49ers accusing them of being afraid of letting him go, with “Stop running from the belt” as a representative example.
Aiyuk is still on the disastrous four-year, $120 million contract the Niners gave him in 2024, which has already seen its guarantees voided amid his ongoing divorce from the team. San Francisco general manager John Lynch said months ago Aiyuk has played his last snap with the team after missing the entire 2025 season.
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So why is Aiyuk still on the Niners and not released? He can pretty much blame Brandon Aiyuk for that. As David Lombardi of the San Francisco Standard broke down, Aiyuk is on the reserve/left squad list because he did in fact stop reporting to the team. The designation allows the Niners to retain his rights with no financial downside and without him taking up a roster spot.
Brandon Aiyuk wants out of the 49ers. The team hasn’t been rushing to grant his wish.
(Eakin Howard via Getty Images)
Ironically, the worst thing Aiyuk could do to the Niners right now is show up for work. The team is reportedly leaning toward releasing Aiyuk before training camp and ending this sideshow, but it is the side with all the leverage right now.
Once released, Aiyuk seems intent on joining the Commanders, where he can play with quarterback Jayden Daniels, his college teammate at Arizona State. Daniels has hinted at wanting to play with Aiyuk, but said last month his friend’s football future is out of his hands.
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As for the Niners’ side of things, here’s what star tight end George Kittle had to say to any team that signs Aiyuk: “You guys have fun with that.”
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