The relations between the San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk continue to strain. The wide receiver has pulled another social media shenanigan, and it has again caught the NFL world’s attention.
How the NFL World Reacted to Brandon Aiyuk’s Social Media Message
In his latest message through social media, a smiling Aiyuk signed off an Instagram story with a blatant chant: “Go, Commanders! Go Commanders! Go, Commanders!” The reactions were immediate.
Robert Griffin III’s podcast account “Outta Pocket With RG3” wrote, “It would appear Brandon Aiyuk REALLY wants to be a Washington Commander.”
𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk continues to post concerning stories on Instagram.
“Go, Commanders! Go Commanders! Go, Commanders!”
Pray for Aiyuk 💔🙏 pic.twitter.com/6TeUAWzRBf
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 22, 2026
NFL writer John Frascella said, “I’ve never really seen ‘professional’ football players basically begging to be on a certain team on Social Media, such bizarre (expletive) is going on, these days.”
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Podcaster Bryce DeGroat of “NFL Convo” commented, “This guy wants the Commanders so bad, but the Commanders don’t want him back😭 “
This guy wants the Commanders so bad but the Commanders don’t want him back😭 pic.twitter.com/cymufHsy5C
— Bryce DeGroat (@NFL_Convo) June 22, 2026
Sleeper NFL’s X handle declared, “Brandon Aiyuk making his preferred destination clear.”
Can hardly remember the last time a WR forced his way out to a specific team he wanted to play for https://t.co/BUz5yuP5rB
— OTL (@otl_ff) June 22, 2026
It seems Aiyuk has all the leverage, given the recent social media activity. But the 49ers still have him under contract and can keep him on the roster for as long as they want.
Aiyuk’s peak came back in the 2023 season, where he earned Second-Team All-Pro honors, catching 75 passes for 1,342 yards and helping lead San Francisco to Super Bowl LVIII. According to PFSN’s WR Impact Metric, he posted an impact score of 92.7 that season, ranking fourth in the league.
However, Aiyuk has played only seven games in the last two seasons. He sat out the entire 2025 NFL season and was placed on the reserve/left squad list after skipping mandatory team rehab sessions, which prompted the 49ers to void more than $24 million in future financial guarantees.
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Aiyuk hasn’t caught a pass in an NFL game since October 2024. Yet, despite entering 2026 with massive medical questions, due to tearing his ACL, MCL, and meniscus, and an untradeable contract structure that carries a base cash value north of $26 million, his primary focus appears to be staging public rants against management.
Aiyuk is openly trying to force his way to Washington to reunite with his former Arizona State teammate, quarterback Jayden Daniels. But his erratic social media behavior, which included calling his own front office “stupid” and “dumb” just weeks ago, is having the opposite effect.
By broadcasting his internal contract grievances and openly cheering for a cross-country rival while still technically under contract, Aiyuk is positioning himself as a textbook locker room liability.
If the 49ers eventually cut ties and release him to avoid a mandatory training camp disaster, Aiyuk will hit the market not as a highly coveted alpha receiver but as a cautionary tale.
