San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has continued to draw attention for publicly criticizing his team on social media posts while still under contract with them. One NFL Insider believes that this approach is doing more harm than good for the wideout. 

During his recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on June 25, ESPN’s NFL Insider Ian Rapoport explained that it was highly unusual for a player to badmouth the team he's still on. He further pointed out that it was bad press for Aiyuk.

“It just never happens because usually you’ll have people close to the player, let’s say Brandon Aiyuk in this case, where you say, 'Listen, if you just kinda be quiet, this is gonna be OK," Rapoport said. "Just don’t be that guy that everyone is gonna be annoyed with', and he does not seem to be listening to people close to him at all and hasn’t been for some time."

Rapoport believes that Aiyuk's "weird" strategy is making teams in the league skeptical about signing him. He further discussed how the WR doesn't seem to be listening to the advice from people around him, who have suggested not to bash his team publicly.

The insider pointed out that Aiyuk's behavior may be aimed at "creating enough noise" and forcing San Francisco to release him.

"I think, I don't know this, but I think the idea is you create enough noise, enough negative publicity, you become so toxic that the 49ers will go, 'Okay, I can't deal with this anymore. I'm tired of the headlines… I'm just going to cut him," Rapoport added.

But Rapoport doesn't think the Niners would buy that strategy. They appear to be taking their time in dealing with Aiyuk's contract, even though he has identified the Washington Commanders as his next landing spot.

The 49ers voided Aiyuk's guaranteed money ($27M) after he failed to fulfill contract obligations. The wide receiver missed team meetings in November 2025. He also missed his rehab sessions for the torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus injuries he sustained in July 2024.

His last campaign with the 49ers was in 2024, where he posted 25 receptions for 374 yards in 7 games before being placed on the PUP list in July 2025 and later the injured/reserve list in December 2025.

Despite Rapoport's belief that the Niners won't be pressured into making a move, Aiyuk continues to attract headlines by publicly criticizing the franchise on social media.

Aiyuk keeps turning heads with latest social media activity

According to NFL Insider Ari Meirov, Aiyuk's claim of not having an agent since November last year explains his recent unmonitored social media activity.

"Brandon Aiyuk says he terminated his agent last November and currently doesn’t have one (though NFLPA official records do not reflect that change)," Meirov wrote on X. "This would help explain the lack of good advice regarding his recent IG behavior."

Aiyuk had previously posted a video where he announced he's 'back on tour'. He even claimed that tickets to see him could be found on the Commanders' official website, further escalating the standoff with the Niners.

With no signs of backing down, Aiyuk's social media activity could make matters worse for his current status with the 49ers and for any future team that is willing to sign him.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit