Brandon Aiyuk Blasts 49ers Coach, Pushes for Exit From $120 Million Deal

Q: With his contract voided over rehab disputes, what is Brandon Aiyuk's next move to force a release?

Aiyuk’s clearest next move is to file for reinstatement from the Reserve/Left Squad list and then report to the 49ers, pass a physical, and force the club to make a decision. Right now, San Francisco does not have to release him while he remains on that list. As long as he stays off it, his leverage is limited and his future remains frozen. Filing the paperwork is the procedural step that reactivates the situation. Once reinstated, if he reports and is medically cleared, the 49ers would have to either keep him on the active roster and pay him, trade him, or cut him. That is why several NFL observers have described reporting and passing a physical as the simplest way to pressure the team. It would shift the dispute from social media and rehab noncompliance into a roster and salary-cap decision for San Francisco. A continued refusal to report would likely weaken his position, especially if it leads to reserve/did not report status and daily fines. Aiyuk has already tried the public-pressure route by demanding his release, attacking the organization, signaling he wants Washington, and severing ties with his agent. But those moves alone do not compel a transaction. The practical lever is reinstatement. If his goal is to force the 49ers’ hand rather than simply protest, the next meaningful step is not another video. It is filing for reinstatement, showing up, and making San Francisco choose between carrying him, trading him, or releasing him.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 28

Brandon Aiyuk escalated his feud with San Francisco in a new video, calling coach Kyle Shanahan a “f---ing toddler” and saying he will not return to the team building except on Oct. 19.
The outburst ties to Aiyuk’s push to leave for Washington, where he has openly said he wants to sign and has posted support for the Commanders on social media.
Aiyuk also said he fired his agent because the agent represented 49ers GM John Lynch, and claimed Lynch showed up unannounced at his home.
The standoff remains complicated by Aiyuk’s injury and roster status: the 49ers voided guarantees on his four-year, $120 million extension after he skipped rehab for torn ACL, MCL and meniscus injuries.
San Francisco placed him on the Reserve/Left Squad list in December, and ESPN reported the team does not have to release him until he files for reinstatement.