Polarizing wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has been the story of the offseason due to his public fallout with the San Francisco 49ers. Aiyuk, who missed the whole of last season while recovering from an MCL and ACL tear sustained in 2024, has taken every opportunity to blast the 49ers on social media.
Emmanuel Acho Sends Warning to Potential Brandon Aiyuk Suitors
During an appearance on Monday’s segment of the “Pardon My Take” podcast, San Francisco tight end George Kittle sent a subtle warning to teams that could take a shot at signing Aiyuk.
“The last time I saw Aiyuk was, call it Week 6, 7, or 8. I don’t really know,” Kittle said. “I used to make it a habit of mine to go out early in the morning before meetings to watch him train because he’d always be out there early, and I watched him run over 22 miles an hour and stop on a dime.”
“So, he’s still got it, or at least that was a year, eight months ago, so I don’t really know. But you guys have fun with that, I guess,” Kittle added. “You have fun with all that comes with it.”
During Monday’s segment of the “Speakeasy” podcast, former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho cautioned teams to stay away from Aiyuk based on Kittle’s mysterious comments about his teammate.
BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM: PFN’s FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator
“George Kittle’s comments on Aiyuk tell you everything you need to know. Stay the hell away,” Acho said. “George Kittle be lying to protect the guilty… Kittle is one hell of a teammate because, regardless of the circumstance, he’s gonna protect his teammate. So, what this tells me is simple, he no longer views Brandon Aiyuk as a teammate. Period.”
“In what world has George Kittle ever said something to slight one of his brothers?” Acho added. “And now he’s saying, ‘Good luck with that. Good luck with Brandon Aiyuk.’ That’s not George Kittle. Kittle said the last time they talked was Week 6, Week 7 or Week 8… That tells me everything I need to know about Brandon Aiyuk. I don’t need to hear nothing else.”
PREDICT THE NFL SEASON: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
Aiyuk had the best season of his career in 2023, tallying 1,342 receiving yards on 75 receptions, resulting in seven touchdowns, and was ranked No. 4 in PFSN’s Wide Receiver Impact metric.
Thereafter, the 49ers awarded him a mammoth four-year, $120 million contract extension that aged badly as he tore his ACL and MCL and missed the rest of the 2024 season after managing 374 receiving yards on 25 catches.
After being placed on the PUP list at the start of training camp in 2025, the wide receiver reportedly missed mandatory rehabilitation sessions with the team’s medical staff. As a result, the 49ers voided nearly $27 million in guaranteed money from his contract extension, leading to the current standoff.
