EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsBrandon Aiyuk is making it clear what his preferred destination is whenever the San Francisco 49ers decide to part ways with him.In his latest Instagram video, posted by the wide receiver to his Instagram Story on Sunday night, Aiyuk yells out: "Go Commanders! Go Commanders! Go Commanders! Raise Hail! Take Command!"He also posted a photo of former quarterback Mark Rypien hoisting the Lombardi Trophy after Washington won Super Bowl XXVI.49ers general manager John Lynch said in January that it was "safe to say that [Aiyuk's] played his last snap with the Niners." However, the team has held on to him in the hope they can find a trade partner.While he is stuck in limbo, Aiyuk has been voicing his frustration toward the 49ers via social media. In early June, Aiyuk began to speak out publicly for the first time. In a pair of videos posted to Instagram, he called the 49ers "dumb" and "stupid" for paying him and suggested that the team was scared to release him because of how he might play for another team.Sunday's video isn't the first time that Aiyuk has hinted at his desire to play for the Commanders and reunite with quarterback Jayden Daniels, his close friend and former teammate at Arizona State. He had previously posted photos of himself in a Commanders hat and Daniels and the Commanders are among the five accounts he is following on Instagram.The 49ers signed Aiyuk to a four-year, $120 million contract extension in August 2024. However, San Francisco and Aiyuk have been at odds for almost a year with the situation escalating last July when the 49ers voided the remaining guaranteed money in his contract because he did not participate in rehab sessions for the torn ACL, MCL and meniscus in his right knee that he suffered during the 2024 season. The Niners then put Aiyuk on the reserve/left team list in December after Aiyuk stopped showing up at the team facility.In an interview with the "Pardon My Take" podcast, which was posted Monday, 49ers tight end George Kittle was asked by co-host PFT Commenter, who is a Commanders fan, how Aiyuk looked on the field the last time he saw him."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 watched him stop on a dime. He's still got him, but that was eight months ago, so I don't really know. You guys have fun with that, I guess ... You have fun with all that comes with it."Then responding to the notion that Aiyuk will be happy once he's a Commander, Kittle quipped: "You're right. I wouldn't be happy either after a team paid me a $130 million dollars."Before his knee injury, Aiyuk had emerged as one of the league's most productive wideouts. He had 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns on his way to second team All Pro honors in 2023.ESPN's Nick Wagoner contributed to this report.
