49ers wide receiver finds himself in another chaotic situation this offseason. On one side, Brandon Aiyuk is on the reserve/left squad list with the team because of missing rehab after his ACL, MCL, and meniscus tear. And now he finds himself in another turmoil after posting an Instagram story of feeding his dogs, where he appeared to be kicking one of them.

Brandon Aiyuk posted a series of IG stories on 13th July, 2026, with his two dogs. The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver first shared a video of himself feeding the dogs raw chicken. He then posted another clip of them eating what appeared to be sardines in oil, which he captioned, “Post workout.” Until this moment, it looked like a normal feeding session.

In the next video, Aiyuk held out the oil-soaked paper bowl for both dogs to lick. One dog started licking the bowl first. When Aiyuk tried to move the bowl to the other dog, the first dog kept trying to eat. Aiyuk then appeared to push the dog in the neck, making it move backward, while saying, “Watch out! N** move.”

A few seconds later, he appeared to kick the same dog in the head before throwing the empty paper bowl onto the ground. The video quickly spread on social media and sparked strong backlash from fans. However, the matter can go beyond just fan hate and turn legal for Aiyuk. In the United States, it is against the law in all 50 states to intentionally hurt an animal without a valid reason.

Depending on how serious the case is, a person can face either a misdemeanor or a felony charge. If someone reports the incident and authorities decide to investigate, Aiyuk might face legal actions.

Well, not similar, but harming animals is a serious issue, and Michael Vick has already faced it. In 2007, Vick was charged by federal authorities for helping run an illegal dogfighting operation called “Bad Newz Kennels.” According to court documents, the dogs were trained to fight each other, and some dogs that did not perform well were killed. Vick later admitted the crime.

After Vick pleaded guilty, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended him from the league. So, let’s just hope Aiyuk doesn’t draw more drama than he is already facing with the 49ers.

Brandon Aiyuk’s contract drama

Brandon Aiyuk has not played an NFL game for more than a year and a half, and it is unclear if he will play again. In December 2025, the San Francisco 49ers placed him on the reserve/left squad list. While he is on that list, the team does not have to pay him, and he cannot be part of the active roster. If Aiyuk wants to play again, he must apply to the NFL to be reinstated. However, he recently said that he does not plan to do that.

“I will not be re-signing with [the 49ers] nor ever doing any kind of business with them. I’m locked in and focused on my opportunity to return to the field this season!”

Because Brandon Aiyuk has refused to apply for reinstatement, he cannot return to the NFL field, even if he wants to play this season.

The problems between Aiyuk and the 49ers began during the 2024 offseason when he wanted a new contract and publicly said the team did not want him back. However, the two sides eventually agreed to a four-year, $120 million contract in August 2024. In July 2025, the 49ers canceled more than $27 million in guaranteed money for the 2026 season after deciding that Aiyuk had not met the rehabilitation requirements in his contract.

There has been some talk about the 49ers trading Aiyuk, but his trade value has dropped so much that finding another team would be difficult. He also skipped the team’s offseason activities. The San Francisco 49ers still hold his NFL rights while he remains on the reserve/left squad list, so he cannot sign with another team. Since keeping him on the list does not cost the team anything, San Francisco has little reason to trade or release him.

The next important date is Sept. 1. If Aiyuk applies for reinstatement before then, he will become eligible to receive a $24.9 million option bonus under his contract. Now, let’s wait and see how this situation turns out.