This offseason has been a wild one for the San Francisco 49ers. Making trades left and right, the roster is looking vastly different from the one that was in overtime of the Super Bowl not too long ago. However, a common name in trade rumors that remained on the team was wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
A 2020 draft pick, he has been with the franchise for five seasons, becoming one of the more effective weapons in the sport. But after a less-than-productive 2024, Aiyuk’s name was a popular one in trade circles. And as it turns out, it did not sit well with the former All-Pro receiver.
Trade Mill: Brandon Aiyuk Publicly Rips San Francisco 49ers
This offseason, the 49ers let go of a large contingent that included Jaylon Moore, Aaron Banks, Talanoa Hufanga, Charvarius Ward, Dre Greenlaw, Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins, Leonard Floyd, while trading away Jordan Mason and Aiyuk’s partner in crime, Deebo Samuel Sr.
It all led to massive extensions for George Kittle and Brock Purdy, while Aiyuk was a common name in trade discussions. The Arizona State product took to his YouTube channel, uploading a fiery post criticizing the front office.
“They was talking about trading me while I was off percocets /muscle relaxers and peeing in a cup by my bed!” Immediately, he followed up with some hilarity to lighten the mood, “Couldn’t walk for 10 weeks, ain’t nobody trading for me.”
The injury Aiyuk is referring to was a torn ACL and MCL injury that he suffered in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs. It ended his year at seven total games played, as he finished with 374 yards and did not record a single touchdown.
It was a tremendous fall-off right after signing a four-year deal worth $120 million. In 2023, he finished with a career-high 1,342 yards, earning the first All-Pro selection of his career.
Even with his limited production, the team ended the year with a top-10 offense on PFSN’s Offense+ metric. With a reformed roster, the 49ers are going to need a strong bounce-back year from their top wide receiver to rebound from a seven-win year in 2024.
Now, fans of the franchise have to hope that this friction caused by the trade rumors doesn’t have a direct impact on the field. On the wide receiver front, their biggest acquisition was Demarcus Robinson, previously of the Los Angeles Rams.
Kyle Shanahan will have to cook his brand of magic, but this interaction cannot be a positive sign for the 49ers.
