Brandon Aiyuk arrived in the San Francisco 49ers as a first-round pick in 2020 and immediately became one of the most electrifying receiver prospects of his draft class. That was until he struck the team in the wrong way. Since his ACL tear in 2024, frustrations over his rehab and contract have plagued the relationship between the two entities. But he literally shot himself in the foot when he took to social media and aired out his grievances publicly.

General manager John Lynch went as far as to say that “he’s played his last snap with the Niners.” It is safe to say that even though he continuously wore Washington’s merch, the Commanders were not going to call him, considering the drama he stirred. Days later, seems like Aiyuk has had a change of heart.

“Brandon Aiyuk deleted the two videos of him talking shit on the 49ers,” Coach Yac posted on X.

The now-deleted video posted on Sunday afternoon was the first time Aiyuk had seemingly spoken publicly about his ongoing standoff with the Niners, paired with a caption that read “If you scared just say dat.” For 91 seconds, Aiyuk described them as “little boys” and “female dogs” who are afraid, never once mentioning the 49ers by name.

“Stop running from the bill,” Aiyuk said. “The bill is coming. You’re scared. They’re scared. Truth is, they’re scared. They know how I get. They’re gonna say, ‘Oh yeah, BA, BA, BA did this. BA did that. BA did, you know, that s—, allegedly. Allegedly. But what they’re not gonna say is ‘BA suck at football,’ ’cause they know how I get. And they running from that bill that’s on the way. It’s inevitable. It’s coming. Stop running. Stop being a female dog. Stop being a little cat. Stop running from that bill.”

He did not stop there. On June 9, Aiyuk doubled down with another video, this time making his target a little clearer.

“You want to know why they’re really mad, though?” Aiyuk said. “They mad ’cause they stupid. They’re dumb. They mad that they paid me $50 million in eight months and then voided my guarantees for [2026]. And I’m about to be on a new team in [2026]. They are mad at themselves for real. They are acting like they are mad at me, but they stupid a– mad at themselves.”

The situation traces back to last November.

Then, the 49ers voided the 2026 guaranteed money in his contract because Aiyuk did not participate in rehab sessions for the torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus in his right knee. He suffered the injury in the Kansas City Chiefs game in October 2024, just months after signing a $120 million four-year extension.

In December, San Francisco placed him on the reserve/left team list. Aiyuk told the NFLPA he had no interest in filing a grievance, and those Instagram videos were the first time he had spoken out publicly until even those disappeared.

But deleting those videos does not mean the disrespect went unnoticed. Former NFL safety Donte Whitner weighed in.

“Brandon Aiyuk is dealing with resentment, regret, and embarrassment,” Whitner said on the Grit Code on June 10, 2026. “Once you get past the initial phase of you dealing with your ego and your self-confidence and the victimization, you’d be like ‘Oh s—, I made a mistake. I probably won’t play football again at that level for the San Francisco 49ers, whether you’re traded or not.'”

Whitner’s words carry weight. Since the injury in October 2024, Aiyuk has not suited up for any games, so his main asset when it comes to entering free agency is the 4,350 yards and 25 touchdowns that he managed to produce in the five seasons with the Niners. Who knows how he will play after riding the pine for essentially two seasons?

There is one team reportedly paying attention, though. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that the Washington Commanders have a “significant interest” in signing Aiyuk should the 49ers release him. His Arizona State connection to quarterback Jayden Daniels and an acquaintance with former 49ers executive and now Commanders GM Adam Peters are working in his favor.

The catch is that the 49ers still hold all the rights over him. Aiyuk remains under contract through 2028, and his reserve/left team designation means he is not being paid and does not count against their roster.

At this point, showing up when training camp opens is the least Aiyuk can do, even if he wants a cut. If he fails to report when training camp opens in late July, fines of up to $50,000 per session he misses could follow.

Deleting those videos looks like the first step toward patching things up with the team that still controls his future. Where it goes from here is anyone’s guess.