Disgruntled San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk appeared to address his fractured relationship with the team in an Instagram post Sunday.
Aiyuk didn't mention the 49ers by name, though he referenced details about his likely inevitable split from the team in a video captioned, "IF YOU SCARED JUST SAY DAT!!"
"(It's) like when your kid, he got this one toy, but he don't really know how to use it correctly," Aiyuk said. "So, somebody else about to pick it up and play with it, and they're like, 'Oh yeah, this shit litty.' And they're like, 'Wait, wait, wait. Hold on, that's my toy.'"
"The truth is, they're scared," Aiyuk added. "They know how I get. They're gonna say, 'Oh yeah, BA did this. BA did that.' ... But what they're not gonna say is, 'BA sucks at football' because they know how I get."
The 28-year-old wideout posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023. In August 2024, he signed a four-year, $120-million extension following contentious negotiations between the two sides.
Aiyuk has been away from the Niners since being placed on their reserve/left squad list late last season. The club also voided nearly $27 million in guaranteed money after he failed to participate in mandatory rehab sessions for a right knee ailment.
General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have previously made it clear that Aiyuk, who hasn't suited up for a game since tearing his ACL, MCL, and meniscus in October 2024, has played his final snap for the organization. However, Lynch said in April that the team has no plans to release Aiyuk "anytime soon," according to NFL.com's Grant Gordon.
The pass-catcher's tirade comes one day after he took a selfie while sporting a Washington Commanders hat. The Commanders have been speculated as a possible destination if he's traded or released. Aiyuk played with Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels at Arizona State in 2019.
Wow: 49ers star WR Brandon Aiyuk purposely wore a Commanders hat in his latest IG story.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 7, 2026
Aiyuk is only 28 and could still be one of the league's best wide receivers.
Daniels x McLaurin x Aiyuk would be LETHAL. pic.twitter.com/AuWhqi63iL
The Niners can save $6.3 million in cap space by releasing Aiyuk, according to Over the Cap. They could also split the dead money owed to him over the next two years as a post-June 1 transaction.
