The Brandon Aiyuk-49ers saga continues to simmer with no resolution in sight. After his Instagram post supporting the Washington Commanders sparked fresh chatter, George Kittle stepped in and made his stance on the situation abundantly clear.

While having a conversation on Pardon My Take podcast, the 49ers' tight end was asked to assess Brandon Aiyuk's ability, given that he has not played since 2024. Kittle praised the receiver’s end talent but acknowledged that there are challenges in the game.

“The last time I saw Aiyuk was, call it Week 6, 7, or 8. I don’t really know. I used to make it a habit of mine to go out early in the morning before meetings to watch him train because he’d always be out there early, and I watched him run over 22 miles an hour and stop on a dime. So, he’s still got it,” Kittle said on the podcast as published by Pro Football Talk.

Kittle's analysis on the Pardon My Take podcast (published on Pro Football Talk) gives insights into the type of athlete Aiyuk is. He earned PFF First-Team All-Pro honors in 2023 after recording 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Across his five-season career, he has amassed 294 receptions, 4,305 receiving yards, and 25 touchdowns.

Back in January, GM John Lynch stated that it was "safe to say that [Aiyuk] has played his last snap with the Niners."

However, the team has held on to him in the hope of finding a trade partner. While there have been conflicting takes on Aiyuk's actions, an NFL legend has backed him.

NFL Veteran Praises Brandon Aiyuk’s Bold 49ers Stance

His recent Instagram post caught the attention of the entire NFL community, including former NFL star LeSean McCoy, who applauded Aiyuk's stance and viewed it as a bold move in his ongoing standoff with the San Francisco 49ers.

“He’s become my favorite wide receiver,” McCoy said on the Speakeasy podcast. “It’s time to fight back. Don’t let these owners just try to own you. Those days is over with. So if you want to move and go to a different team, why not?”

McCoy’s comments came after Aiyuk posted another video supporting the Washington Commanders. Rather than viewing Aiyuk’s posts as mere leverage against the 49ers, LeSean McCoy suggested there could be deeper factors at play. McCoy argued that the public might not understand what Aiyuk is actually doing.

“If he is that focused on throwing shots at the Niners to go to Washington to play, it’s something that happened to him that, for him, it’s a big reason why he’s leaving,” McCoy said.

That said, what are your thoughts on Brandon Aiyuk?

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Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi