Christian McCaffrey Mistakenly Calls Brandon Aiyuk 'Former Teammate' Amid Rumors

McCaffrey slipped up and called Aiyuk a former teammate during 49ers camp.

Nov 19, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) celebrates with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) after scoring a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers are still at odds on a long-term contract, and trade rumors continue to swirl around the All-Pro wide receiver.

49ers running back Christian McCaffrey did nothing to quiet those rumors on Tuesday when he accidentally referred to himself as Aiyuk's "former teammate" during an interview with NFL Network's Inside Training Camp Live.

"That's not part of my job, it's not part of my position," McCaffrey said of the Aiyuk rumors. "I think, obviously as a former teammate, or, teammate of his, in general, any teammate you have, you love, you respect them, you want the best for them."

👀 Christian McCaffrey refers to Brandon Aiyuk as a “former teammate”

h/t @StatsOnFire #49ers pic.twitter.com/RUtiFjt6aU

— Kevin Krueger (@kevinkruegs) August 6, 2024

That's clearly an innocent slip-up but it's not going to do anything to calm trade rumors.

The 49ers and Aiyuk have been at an impasse over a new contract for a long time, and it doesn't appear they're any close to an agreement. Sentiment seems to be trending towards a trade before the 2024 NFL season kicks off.

Aiyuk earned second-team All-Pro honors last season, as he caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns, while averaging 17.9 yards per catch. The 26-year-old is heading into the final season of his rookie contract, so any team trading for him would likely need to be armed with an extension in hand.