The relationship between Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers has deteriorated significantly over the last year.
Aiyuk recently broke his silence with a bizarre video against the organization. However, not everyone was convinced, including three-time Super Bowl champion and FOX Sports analyst Mark Schlereth, who delivered a scathing attack on the wide receiver.
Mark Schlereth Rips Brandon Aiyuk Over Latest 49ers Drama
Aiyuk broke his silence on the situation in a recent video, delivering a pointed dig at the organization.
“You wanna know why they really mad though?” Aiyuk said. “They mad ’cause they stupid. They dumb. They mad that they paid me $50 million in eight months and then voided my guarantees for 2027. And I’m about to be on a new team. They mad at theyselves for real… acting like they mad at me, but they stupid a** mad at theyself.”
Schlereth blasted Aiyuk’s latest escalation while questioning both his judgment and the message it sends to teams that may be interested in acquiring him.
“How stupid is this guy? Seriously, how dumb is Aiyuk?” Schlereth said. “You can’t be any dumber than this dude.”
Schlereth argued that publicly criticizing the franchise that drafted him and later rewarded him with a lucrative extension could hurt Aiyuk’s chances of finding a new home.
“He put out on his social media platform that the 49ers are just mad,” Schlereth added. “Who in their right mind would put that out there on social media when you’re trying to find another team that’s vying for your services?”
“I don’t need that turd on my team,” he continued. “He ended up getting paid, quit showing up to rehab, ended up taking $50 million dollars and then he’s calling the team that gave him $50 million dollars stupid for giving him $50 million dollars.”
Schlereth then questioned how Aiyuk would be perceived around the league. “You think everybody is gonna line up and trade for you now?” he asked.
Aiyuk’s current situation is the culmination of a fallout that has been brewing for nearly two years. He was a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft before truly breaking out two years later after posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023. According to PFSN’s WR Impact Metric, in 2023, he was the fourth-highest-ranked wideout in the league with an impact score of 92.7.
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That earned him a four-year, $120 million contract extension before the start of the 2024 season. At the time, there were reports that the 49ers were hesitant to hand Aiyuk a huge extension while multiple teams expressed interest in acquiring him.
Ultimately, the two sides agreed to a deal, but it only turned into a disaster. Aiyuk managed just 374 receiving yards in seven games during an injury-plagued 2024 season before he tore his ACL. He hasn’t featured for them since then.
During his recovery, there were reports of complaints about his lack of participation and communication with the organization. The situation escalated further when the 49ers voided guarantees in Aiyuk’s contract for the 2026 season before placing him on the reserve/left squad list.
Aiyuk later suggested in his recent video that the move involved his 2027 guarantees, but reports stated the voided guarantees were tied only to the 2026 season.
Since then, San Francisco has continued exploring trade options rather than releasing him outright, while Aiyuk largely avoided publicly explaining his side of the story. His latest comments, however, have now dragged the dispute into the public spotlight.
