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Brandon Aiyuk Wore Wrong Shorts to 49ers Practice, and Kyle Shanahan Was Not Happy

You don't see this everyday!

Tim Capurso

San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan (left) speaks to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (right) during the team's practice session on Friday, September 27.
San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan (left) speaks to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (right) during the team's practice session on Friday, September 27. / Screengrab Twitter @grantcohn
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There was a bit of a fashion faux pas during the San Francisco 49ers' practice session in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday. 49ers star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk emerged from the locker room wearing red shorts, and immediately stood out, as the rest of the club had donned black shorts for the practice.

This was not lost on coach Kyle Shanahan, who immediately approached Aiyuk and appeared to have an animated discussion with the talented receiver. After making his point clear, Shanahan walked away.

A somewhat frustrated Aiyuk then proceeded to remove his cleats and change from the red shorts to the black shorts, which he puzzlingly had on his person for the practice session.

Check out the peculiar moment, courtesy of Grant Cohn on X (formerly Twitter).

After the practice, Shanahan was asked if Aiyuk did indeed arrive at practice with the wrong shorts.

"Yeah he did," Shanahan said. "Good question."

He was then asked if wearing the wrong shorts is a punishable offense.

"No, I wish I could wear different shorts," Shanahan said.

The bizarre moment comes amid a slow start to the season for the 1–2 49ers, whose offense has been plagued by injuries, most notably to 2023 Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey, 2021 Pro Bowl wide receiver Deebo Samuel and five-time Pro Bowler and tight end George Kittle.

The 49ers offense has, understandably, scuffled a bit since a 32-point outburst in the Week 1 win over the New York Jets. Aiyuk, who in August signed a four-year, $120 million deal with the team after a lengthy holdout, has also been slow out of the gate, having produced just 11 receptions for 119 receiving yards through three games played.

With Kittle expected to play Sunday against the New England Patriots, and Samuel on the mend, San Francisco will look to put together a better overall performance in Week 4.

And avoid any fashion mishaps along the way.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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