Does Brandon Aiyuk Want the 49ers to Trade Him?

With Brandon Aiyuk's new TikTok, people are speculating on his return. So what does Aiyuk's future entail? Will he be a Niner or will we see him on a new team?

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs safety Mike Edwards (21) tackles San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) during overtime of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to the NFL offseason, where people write about players TikToks. I guess I’m one of those people. Although analyzing a player's social media sounds stupid and invaluable, Brandon Aiyuk is utilizing it to stir up new narratives to benefit his contract negotiations. 

Here we go …

Brandon Aiyuk on TikTok: “I’m laughing but I’m crying fr”

Jayden Daniels: “What happened bro”

Aiyuk : “They said they don’t want me back… I swear”

(h/t: @Coach_Yac)
pic.twitter.com/BKOjDJvjDI

— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) June 17, 2024

In this TikTok, Aiyuk is on the phone with former ASU teammate Jayden Daniels, the 2nd overall pick to the Commanders, and informs him that the 49ers said they don’t want him. This naturally leads to Daniels freaking out a bit, getting excited over the idea of them playing together. As much as I would love the ASU reunion, I speculate on how real his statements are. In a way to try and analyze this the best, let’s break down what we do know in this scenario.

For starters, Aiyuk was offered a lowball deal for a WR1. Whether or not you agree Aiyuk is a WR1 guy on this team, his numbers last year were on that level. He was the 2nd highest-graded receiver according to PFF and was 7th in receiving yards. He had an excellent season and a young player who performs well wants to make money on their success. Look at Nico Collins' and Michael Pittman Jr.'s contracts. So after seeing the big contract Justin Jefferson got, Aiyuk felt that the $26 million offer was low. I won’t speak on the Niners “not wanting him” because any team in the league would want Aiyuk, but what is clear is he is upset. He feels he did earn a big deal and isn’t being recognized for it.

The only other bit of guaranteed info we have is that Aiyuk is willing to wait this out. You don’t post a clip of you saying your team doesn’t want you unless you want some shoppers to come in. This type of play should be done after you're gone, but only if your goal is to get your opinion out. Letting it all out now while you're still on the team has to be a grab at letting teams know he wants the contract he deserves, so if you're willing to meet it, come and talk.  

So now that we have the certainties out of the way, how about the uncertainties? Will Aiyuk stay or go? Ultimately, Aiyuk has all of the power. He can not play the whole season, eat all of the fines and leave when his contract is up. Or the Niners will realize they can afford him or can’t and will act accordingly. They can treat it like L’Jarius Sneed’s move to the Titans and accept he doesn’t work in their financial timeframe and move on. Maybe he skips all of training camp and the Niners keep slapping him with fines. Anything is possible.

Here's a fact, though: Whatever Aiyuk wants will happen. If he wants to go, he will. And if he wants to stay, he would be willing to take a pay cut.

And the biggest fact of them all: Aiyuk will be a very rich man in 2025.