The Brandon Aiyuk saga feels never-ending. Will he stay in San Francisco with the 49ers or will he be traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers? You know it’s getting rough when people are analyzing the clothes Aiyuk is wearing. But that’s where we are. When he showed up at 49ers practice wearing red, people took it as a sign that he was staying.
On one level, that makes a bit of sense. After all, why would Aiyuk wear 49ers gear to stand on the sideline of practice if he was committed to leaving the team?
“If we’re in a confrontation and we’re kind of trending toward a breakup, I’m not going to wear a shirt that you bought me,” former NFL WR Greg Jennings said Thursday’s on FOX Sports’ First Things First. “I’m not going to do that leaning toward walking away. That’s my point that I’m making. I think that he’s leaning towards ‘You know what, this might be where I need to stay.'”
“He is leaning towards: this might be where I need to stay.”
— @GregJennings on Brandon Aiyuk’s future with the 49ers pic.twitter.com/ktI6kYPuKP
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) August 15, 2024
Jennings said that if Aiyuk were there in different colors, it would change his viewpoint on the whole matter. Is Aiyuk foreshadowing his final choice simply by wearing red to a single practice? Maybe, maybe not. There still has been no real news about Aiyuk signing the contract offer from the 49ers. Nor has there been news on the trade front.
But Jennings’ final point does make some sense. Aiyuk has been incredibly effective under 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. He’s consistently made plays down the field with only one season averaging under 13 yards per catch. He’s also gained over 1,000 yards each of the last two seasons.
Aiyuk is not the top dog in San Francisco, which is a double-edged sword. On one hand, top-tier wide receivers want to be recognized as the best. Will he get that recognition with the 49ers? There’s RB Christian McCaffrey, TE George Kittle, and fellow wide receiver Deebo Samuel to contend with.
On the other hand, that means defenses cannot key on Aiyuk to limit his effectiveness. There is too much talent on the 49ers’ offense to focus entirely on Aiyuk. He’s proven that he can excel in that system. You don’t register 17.9 yards per catch by accident as he did in 2023.
Heck, that’s the point a lot of people have made about Steelers WR George Pickens. If the Steelers can’t find someone else to be a consistent receiving threat, defenses will key on Pickens. That’s probably the main reason why they’ve pursued Aiyuk.
There are so many factors at play for Aiyuk in this process. That’s why it’s still dragging on. Aiyuk is contending with money, respect, and success. The 49ers want him to stay in San Francisco. The Steelers obviously want him to come to Pittsburgh. And the 49ers don’t want to budge on a trade unless they’re at least okay with what’s coming back.
Every single player in this saga is doing everything in their power to utilize whatever leverage they have. And that’s why we’re to the point of analyzing clothing choices to figure out how this is all going to end.
