Brandon Aiyuk was a huge name back in 2023, but according to an ex-teammate, he’s taken a 180 turn since then. The receiver continues to be at the center of NFL talk as questions grow about his future with the San Francisco 49ers. Trade rumors are getting louder, and the Cleveland Browns are now being linked to the star wide receiver. A recent comment from one of his former teammates has only added fuel to the discussion.

“If I’m making all that money, I’m falling in line. ‘Yes, sir. What do you need me to do?’ That’s life-changing money. That’s family changing money,” Jon Feliciano reportedly said about his former teammate on X before revealing talks with the team. “Everyone’s just like, ‘I don’t get it.’ It’s a shocking thing. When I was with Brandon my first year he was selfless, giving up his body. This is a complete 180, not to be there for the team.”

After five seasons in red and gold, San Francisco has grown increasingly frustrated with Brandon Aiyuk over the past few months because of what has happened behind the scenes. Aiyuk was once viewed as a possible October return. Instead, the relationship reportedly deteriorated as Aiyuk failed to attend team meetings and activities, with the 49ers particularly irritated by a “lack of communication.” The situation escalated when the team voided the guaranteed portion of his 2026 salary, citing a failure to fulfill contract obligations.

While Kyle Shanahan later confirmed the bonus was voided back in July and downplayed specifics, he also admitted there had not been “much dialogue.” Aiyuk, for his part, declined to file a grievance with the NFLPA, a move that quietly opens the door for a clean break once the season ends.

Feliciano and Aiyuk were teammates with the San Francisco 49ers during the 2023 season. That campaign, which ended with a Super Bowl appearance, was the last time they shared the field together, as Feliciano retired early in  2025. Feliciano’s frustration felt less like an opinion and more a firsthand reaction. He pointed to a sharp contrast between the player he saw sacrificing his body weekly and the current absence that has left the locker room confused. This talk came at a time when Aiyuk had been heavily linked away from the franchise, to the Cleveland Browns.

Cleveland simply did not get WR1-level production this season. Jerry Jeudy led the room with just 602 receiving yards across 17 games, while the Browns’ next two wideouts combined for only 39 catches all year. With Shedeur Sanders now expected to take over under center in 2026, the need becomes even clearer. Young quarterbacks thrive with a trusted, volume receiver, and that is where Brandon Aiyuk fits the puzzle.

ESPN’s Ben Solak believes Brandon Aiyuk could be that weapon. He thinks the Browns should go after Aiyuk, pointing out that his time in San Francisco may be over. Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million deal before the 2024 season, but tore his ACL in October and has never played since then.

“The Browns will bring in 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk,” Solak wrote. “As they continue their tradition of signing receivers on low-cost contracts in hopes of hitting it big.”

Brandon Aiyuk has already shown he can produce at a high level in the NFL. For Cleveland, acquiring him could fill a major need at receiver and give Sanders a reliable option to lean on.

No clear path forward for Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers

Brandon Aiyuk’s situation with the San Francisco 49ers remains unresolved as January moves forward. What first came to light at the end of December has not changed, and the wide receiver’s continued absence is now raising more concern inside and outside the organization.

On December 30, head coach Kyle Shanahan and wide receiver Kendrick Bourne addressed the situation.

“I mean, we haven’t seen him in forever. I haven’t seen him in a month, and the same with our team.” Shanahan told the media, while Bourne shared his concern, saying, “He’s MIA within the building, man. It’s been tough. I’ve been praying for him.”

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Brandon Aiyuk’s 49ers story feels like it’s running its final chapter. Contract tensions, a voided 2026 guarantee, and months of silence have soured a relationship that once looked unshakable. Add in Browns interest, and it’s hard to see a way back. All signs point to one thing: Aiyuk may have already played his last snap in San Francisco red and gold.