The Brandon Aiyuk saga in San Francisco can’t seem to find its inevitable conclusion just yet.
In a video message posted Sunday on Instagram, the disgruntled 49ers wide receiver did not mince words when describing the team that signed him to a four-year, $120 million contract extension in 2024.
“We’re dealing with, you know, like [those] kids when they don’t get picked for the basketball game at the court, but they’re the ones that brought the ball,” Aiyuk said in the video. “So they’re like, ‘All right, you all don’t want to pick me, I’m taking my ball, I’m going home.’ Ass boys. Little-ass boys.”
“It’s inevitable. It’s coming. Stop running. Stop being a female dog. Stop being a little cat. Stop running from the belt.”
While social media has had a mixed reaction toward Aiyuk’s video, former NFL veteran Chad Ochocinco understood where the 49ers wideout was coming from and explained what the message means based on his perspective.
“A lot of people [are] probably not going to get it,” Ochocinco said on the “Night Cap” show. “For us, you know, sometimes we say things in riddle format where others really don’t understand it.
“Now, the concept and what it sounded like he’s trying to say is obviously I’m a 49er, and the other people that might want me. Instead of letting me go elsewhere, so someone else could have that same toy that the child is playing with, [the 49ers are] like, ‘Nah, I want to keep him here.’”
Aiyuk has not played an NFL snap since suffering a torn ACL in Week 7 of the 2024 season. He had his guarantees voided for infractions last summer and currently is on San Francisco’s reserve/left squad list. While the 49ers have been open to trading Aiyuk, John Lynch and Co. have not made any moves yet to finally end the wide receiver’s rocky tenure in San Francisco.
“He wants out so bad that he was willing to give up that kind of money and say, ‘You know what, I want to get out of here so bad I’m going to give you all that back just to get my freedom to go elsewhere,’ ” Ochocinco added.
“I’ve never seen anything like it before. A lot of people obviously won’t understand the context unless you’ve been a part of the business and understand how the business works and understand that.
“And he’s just doing everything he can to be able to get out of there, which is why he was willing to give that money up so he can go somewhere else… He might not get a long-term deal, but I think he’s going to get a deal. You’re going to come in here and prove it. You’ve got to come in here and prove yourself.”
Aiyuk’s message was posted days after the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office issued him an arrest warrant for a misdemeanor exhibition of speed, which stems from a video he posted of himself driving more than 100 miles per hour along Levi’s Stadium in December.
Based on the video, there seems to be some animosity coming from Aiyuk with the 49ers still keeping him on the roster, considering how shaky the relationship between the two sides has been in the last two years.
While the 28-year-old’s future in the NFL is uncertain, one thing remains clear: San Francisco eventually will move on from Aiyuk one way or another. It will just be a matter of time.
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