CBS Sports, in addition to the rest of the NFL world, have been monitoring the situation between wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers. To be sure, the relationship between player and team has not been good for years now, and Aiyuk has made it very clear that he has no intention of ever stepping foot in the 49ers facility ever again.
There is a problem with that, though. Because he has gone AWOL from the organization, San Francisco has placed him on the NFL’s reserve/left squad list. In order for him to even apply for reinstatement from the league, he has to be cleared by the 49ers.
It is a messy situation, one that a former agent states is entirely Aiyuk’s fault.
CBS Sports contributor, a former agent, says Brandon Aiyuk is to blame for everything
CBS Sports, like many other sports media companies, hires former professionals from within the sporting world to contribute to their company. One of their notable contributors is Joel Corry, a former player agent. Due to his background representing players, he offers a unique perspective on many stories around the NFL.
When it comes to Aiyuk (who has fired his agent) and the 49ers, he places the entire blame on the embattled wide receiver:
“TheSan Francisco 49ersreport to training camp this weekend, and wide receiverBrandon Aiyukis still under contract. Aiyuk’s situation is one of the most bizarre in the salary cap era. He has nobody to blame but himself for his predicament.
“Aiyuk chose to spend his time posting videos and messages on social media rather than taking constructive steps to accelerate his departure from the 49ers. It is believed that Aiyuk still hasn’t started the reinstatement process. He has vowed that he will never set foot in the 49ers’ facility.
“Aiyuk took a scorched-earth approach with his social media posts. He is playing the victim and isn’t taking any responsibility for his circumstances.”
Aiyuk has not played an NFL game since mid-2024. After suffering a torn ACL, he rehabbed his injury away from the team. This decision, as well as others that he made that soured the organization’s attitude towards him, led to his guarantees in his four-year $120 million contract getting voided.
Prior to the start of the 2024 season, Aiyuk held out for a new contract with the 49ers. Their long standoff resulted in the aforementioned mega deal, but he has not lived up to it… at all.
This off-season, he has posted several videos praising the Washington Commanders, which he has identified as the team he wants to play for. As mentioned, though, he cannot even be released by San Francisco until he applies for reinstatement from the league, and to do that he must be in contact with the 49ers.
At this point, it is not known whether or not Aiyuk will ever play in the NFL again. If not, he will only have himself to blame.
