Brandon Aiyuk appears to rip 49ers with cryptic social media message
Sep 26, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) walks on the field before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Brandon Aiyuk has been openly seeking a new contract this offseason, and it appears he is unhappy about the lack of progress in negotiations with the San Francisco 49ers.
Niners general manager John Lynch told reporters on Monday that the team is not actively looking to trade Aiyuk despite recent rumors. Lynch said the goal is to sign Aiyuk to an extension.
“There are a number of different directions it can go,” Lynch said, via David Lombardi and Matt Barrows of The Athletic. “But we appreciate the heck out of Brandon and who he is as a player. We want him to be a part of the Niners, so we’re going to work towards making that a reality.”
Not long after Lynch made the comments, Aiyuk took to Instagram with a cryptic message. He posted several emojis that represented the phrase “money talks, bulls— walks.”
Wild: #49ers GM John Lynch stated that the team is in contact with Brandon Aiyuk’s camp and trying to work out a long contract.
Aiyuk seemed to respond to that with emojis on his Instagram story 😳 pic.twitter.com/aokT4idgRn
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 25, 2024
There have already been rumors this offseason that Aiyuk is unhappy with his current situation, and that will only add to the narrative. He is obviously well aware of that and has no problem going public with his frustration.
Aiyuk also raised some eyebrows last week when he posted a public message to Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin via X. Lynch admitted on Monday that Tomlin, who once coached Lynch when the former safety played in the NFL, asked the GM about Aiyuk’s social media activity.
“Mike coached me (in Tampa Bay) and so we’re very close,” Lynch said. “He’s like, ‘Bro, what’s going on?’ I promise you, we’ve got nothing — nothing is going on there.”
Perhaps Aiyuk wants something to go on.
Aiyuk is set to make $14.124 million in 2024 after the 49ers picked up his 5th-year option. He had 75 catches for 1,342 yards and 7 touchdowns last season and feels he is in line for a raise. If the two sides were close to an agreement, Aiyuk probably would not be sharing cryptic messages like the one we saw on Monday.