Brandon Aiyuk thought he got the last word on his way out of San Francisco. But from what we’ve seen over the last two years, it’s clear that the WR is mistaken. For a player who is still technically a 49er on paper, the audacity of his argument has not gone unnoticed. Former 49ers safety, Donte Whitner, pulled back the curtains on the harsh reality that Aiyuk will find himself in soon enough.

“Brandon Aiyuk is dealing with resentment, regret, and embarrassment.” Donte 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.'”

San Francisco has the upper hand in this drama. They played nice with Aiyuk in the 2024 offseason, giving him a $120 million, four-year contract. But that deal collapsed the moment he got injured in the Kansas City Chiefs game in 2024. They waited for him to come back and recover in the 2025 offseason, but Aiyuk refused to participate. The 49ers had no option but to make their move in this feud.

The team voided the guaranteed money in his contract for 2026 due to his decision. Then, in December, San Francisco placed him on the reserve/left team list after he became a no-show in the building. No other team would be inclined to consider Aiyuk as a safe bet because of the stunts he’s pulled with the 49ers.

“Think about Brandon Aiyuk,” Whitner continued. “Damn near two years since you played football. You don’t have an offensive philosophy or offensive system to go to. So even if they did trade you right before training camp, do you think that’s enough time to get acclimated to the offense, the cardiovascular endurance, get yourself back in shape? No.”

In the Chiefs game, Aiyuk tore his ACL, MCL, and meniscus in his right knee. There is no word about where he stands in terms of recovery, and whether he has been working out somewhere. Aiyuk doesn’t have much to make his case for a new contract with a new team, except his impressive numbers from the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The WR hauled in a total of 2,357 yards and 15 touchdowns over those two years.

But being inactive since 2024, it is difficult to be confident about Aiyuk being able to reach that ceiling ever again. Should he manage to miraculously find another home this year, after the 49ers drop him, it’d take a considerable amount of time for Aiyuk to deliver at this level in a new offense.

There is little hope of the WR landing with another team. But there is a growing rumor about him going to the Washington Commanders because of his existing connections with college teammate Jayden Daniels and former 49ers exec Adam Peters (now general manager of the Commanders). Aiyuk and his recent numbers made him a good fit. But the Commanders could well be reconsidering their stance on the WR, who does not hold back on his thoughts.

Brandon Aiyuk shares back-to-back rants against the 49ers

The 49ers have no deadline to meet to release Aiyuk. Until another team makes a formal move, or the 49ers grant him his long-awaited wish, the WR is left with an uncertain future. Unhappy at how San Francisco is calling the shots, Aiyuk went on a rant about his situation twice in the span of five days.

“We dealing with, like them kids when they don’t get picked for the basketball game at the court,” Aiyuk said in an Instagram video on June 7. “But they the ones that brought the ball, so they like, ‘Alright, you all don’t want to pick me, I’m taking my ball, I’m going home.’ A– boys. Little-a– boys.”

On June 9, the WR followed it up with this:

“You want to know why they’re really mad, though?” Aiyuk said in another Instagram video. “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 ass mad at themselves.”

Teams sign with players knowing the kind of temperament they bring to the team. Aiyuk’s mindset was not tolerated by the 49ers, and it is unlikely that the Commanders, or any other team, would think otherwise. This battle is Aiyuk’s to lose.