Brandon Aiyuk spilled the beans on why he told his former Arizona State teammate Jayden Daniels the San Francisco 49ers didn’t want him back. It has to do with what the 49ers’ brass told him during their negotiations with the disgruntled wide receiver this offseason.
Brandon Aiyuk met with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday
As previously discussed on GH, Aiyuk met with the 49ers this week. The meeting went well, but no deal seems forthcoming anytime soon. The 49ers don’t have any reason to rush into a deal with Aiyuk because they have most (if not all) of the leverage:
Per Pelissero, the 49ers meeting with Aiyuk went well:
“Here’s what I can tell you. Aiyuk and 49ers’ brass met on Monday at Aiyuk’s request. This was a good meeting. From what I was told, both sides said things that needed to be said, and they’re going to keep working.”
Pelissero said the 49ers have not changed their stance on wanting to trade Aiyuk:
“It’s important to note here, there’s never been a trade request from Brandon Aiyuk. That hasn’t changed. The 49ers’ stance hasn’t changed either, despite getting trade calls on Aiyuk going back to draft week. They’re moving forward, and they want Aiyuk to be a part of the team in 2024.
Despite the 49ers being in control of the situation, Aiyuk is doing what he can to pressure the team’s brass by talking to the media and releasing videos that don’t paint his bosses in a positive light. Aiyuk recently told ESPN‘s Ryan Clark on The Pivot that he’s open to a trade if the 49ers decide not to offer him a respectable deal.
The 49ers didn’t believe they’d get on the same page as Aiyuk
Clark asked Aiyuk about the viral TikTok video where Aiyuk told Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels that the 49ers didn’t want him back. Clark wanted to know what the 49ers told Aiyuk that made the star receiver feel like they didn’t want him to sign a contract extension.
“They told me that they didn’t think that we were on the same page and that they didn’t believe that we were going to, and that was about it at that time,” Aiyuk said. “But it’s part of it. It’s part of the contract negotiations, trying to sway stuff in either direction. So whether that’s 100 percent true or not, I guess that’s still to find out.”
How is Aiyuk supposed to feel?
It’s little wonder Aiyuk didn’t think the team wanted him back if they told him they didn’t believe they would get on the same page as his agent.
Aiyuk said he still believes he can get a deal signed with the 49ers. But if the 49ers are unwilling to meet his demands, Aiyuk thinks he’ll end up with the Washington Commanders or Pittsburgh Steelers.
