As Brandon Aiyuk may know, George Kittle, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have worked together for the duration of the tight end’s career since the trio arrived in 2017. In that near decade, Kittle has had a front-row seat to see how Shanahan and Lynch treat their players behind closed doors. The tight end received as good an opportunity as anyone to give Aiyuk a public endorsement.
However, the franchise tight end declined to do so in a video clip on the “Chris Simms Unbuttoned” podcast via Ari Meirov. Instead of giving Aiyuk public support, he sided with his team after revealing he “tried” to offer help to the wide receiver.
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“I feel like the niners have done a very good job throughout the entire process and have tried,” he said.
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“Kyle has tried. John has tried. Teammates have tried, and this is where we are. And so I think the organization itself has done a really good job. … I’ve been here for 10 years, and I’ve been treated with nothing but respect and love my entire career.”
Aiyuk’s most recent and likely final appearance with the San Francisco 49ers was on Oct. 20, 2024, when he logged two catches for 23 yards, two weeks after posting eight catches for 147 yards.
Brandon Aiyuk’s hostile comments all but kill hopes of mended bridge with 49ers
Brandon Aiyuk’s troubles with the 49ers went from a by-the-book injury recovery to a mysterious absence and now have become a war. Aiyuk has gone on record on video calling out the 49ers over his contract.
Via ESPN in a June 9 report, the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver went on a tirade with multiple Instagram videos over three days and took aim at the team he is still under contract with.
Aiyuk called the 49ers names during one of the rants.
“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 in 2027. They mad at theyselves for real. N‐‐‐as acting like they mad at me, but they stupid a** mad at theyself.”
While he didn’t mention the two by name, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch are the two people with the most control over the deals that are given to players. They are also the two with the most control over how and when the team cuts ties. The question is whether another team will take a nibble after learning what happens when Aiyuk becomes frustrated with his team.
Will a change in scenery change Aiyuk’s focus, or has the receiver managed to talk his way out of the NFL?
Edited by Ian Van Roy