Brandon Aiyuk has still not been released by the San Francisco 49ers. The publicly documented tension between them is still as thick as it was when he decided to ghost the team. In fact, Aiyuk made it a point to show that he was disgruntled on social media. But, according to his latest post on Instagram, something might have changed.

Aiyuk posted a dance video of himself, clad in a white robe and apparently enjoying himself. But the real draw of this post was the caption: Coming to an endzone near 🫵!!

Now, this could also be Aiyuk soft-releasing a new touchdown celebration dance for a new team. But the sudden shift in his content posting strategy has got people talking even more about him.

In the span of five days, Aiyuk had infamously dropped two videos indirectly pointed at San Francisco. In the first one, he called the Niners “a little cat” and warned them to “stop running from the bill.” The team has yet to cut him, and Aiyuk has probably grown antsy now. San Francisco holds the cards for now, as they have no deadline to meet.

In the next video, posted two days after the first one, Aiyuk said that the 49ers were “stupid” and “dumb,” because he was still able to make $48.15 million out of the $120 million-worth contract he signed in 2024. The WR was also confident that he’d be on a new team by next year.

However, an overwhelming majority of fans and people in the media called him out on the mini-rants, which have now been deleted.

“Here’s a little piece of advice for you,” Mark Schlereth said on The Stinkin’ Truth podcast. “You are exactly where you are because of the shitty decisions that you’ve made. You are not a victim. It is not anybody else’s fault. The San Francisco 49ers didn’t conspire against you to ruin your career. You are where you are because of your stupidity. Just admit it, embrace it, and move forward with it.”

The relationship between the Niners and Brandon Aiyuk deteriorated over publicly documented steps stretching back to the 2023 season. Aiyuk’s 51-yard reception in the NFC Championship game – the one which bounced off a Detroit Lions defender – was the reason the Niners made it to Super Bowl LVIII. He was one of the most talented receivers in the league at that point, and wanted a payday that matched his production. But the Niners tried to trade him to the Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots; Aiyuk said no.

They handed him the aforementioned four-year contract, but the damage was already done. When the team announced his extension, they also made it known that they were planning to ship Aiyuk off to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and only head coach Kyle Shanahan’s intervention finally broke the ice.

Aiyuk still suited up and tried to ball out, but blew out his knee in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs. With his campaign cut short, Aiyuk focused on rehab, but he claimed that the 49ers were trying to trade him again. Since then, this drama has become a reenactment of the Cold War.

Aiyuk skipped the team’s rehab sessions last season, and did not commit to various contract obligations. That forced the Niners to respond by voiding his approximately $27 million guaranteed 2026 money. Neither side was backing down; Aiyuk went radio silent, and eventually landed on the reserve/DNR list.

Aiyuk stoked the fire in this drama further by posting those two videos. Teams who were probably ready to gamble on signing him have probably backtracked, given how volatile things could turn out to be. Former Green Bay Packers offensive lineman David Bakhtiari suspected that Aiyuk might be “spinning out,” and urged those close to him to step in and help.

The one team that could still consider Aiyuk is the Washington Commanders, who had long been singled out as a potential landing spot. Aiyuk had implied a connection recently in an Instagram story of himself wearing the Commanders cap. And the Instagram post before this dance video was geotagged with Washington, DC.

Aiyuk has a connection with Washington – he was college teammates with Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. Washington could plug in a playmaker for Daniels in his third year, and Aiyuk still has the upside to make it all work. But the question is whether the risk is worth it.

Daniels doesn’t have a true WR2 behind Terry McLaurin, but Washington has depth. Dyami Brown is back, Treylon Burks has been re-signed, and Antonio Williams and Van Jefferson bring fresh energy.

“I’m excited with the guys we have in the room,” Daniels said in a recent interview.

Had Aiyuk not pulled the stunt he did with the 49ers, we would have heard of a team formally expressing their interest in him. He is a former first-round pick who was just hitting his stride when the injury derailed him. When healthy (and motivated), he’s a 28-year-old battle-tested starter. But the case against any team signing Aiyuk is also strong, even after his social media ceasefire.

The last NFL game Brandon Aiyuk played was Week 7 of the 2024 season, where he tore his ACL and MCL. With all the tension between him and San Francisco, he’s a free agent waiting to happen. Teams could get him cheap, but they need to decide if that gamble is worth the risk.