Brandon Aiyuk deletes videos as 49ers release looms

Brandon Aiyuk has deleted two recent videos criticizing the 49ers, including accusations that the team was “scared” to let him sign elsewhere. The timing adds pressure to an offseason standoff that could hinge on his next steps—training camp participation, ins

Brandon Aiyuk deleted two recent videos that took aim at the 49ers, striking a sharper contrast than the words themselves.

The first video was posted on Sunday, June 7. In it, Aiyuk accused the 49ers of being afraid to let him sign with a new team. “Stop running from the belt,” he said. “The belt coming. You scared. They scared. The truth is they scared. They know how I get. They gonna say, ‘Oh, yeah, B.A. did this, B.A. did that.’ You know that shit — ‘Allegedly. Allegedly.’ But what they not gonna say is ‘B.A. suck at football,’ because they know how I get.“ And they running from that belt that’s on the way. It’s inevitable. It’s coming. Stop running.”.

Two days later, Aiyuk posted a second message—also now deleted. “And another thing,” he said. “You wanna know why they really mad, though?. They mad ‘cause they stupid. They dumb. They mad that they paid me $50 million in eight months, and they [voided] my guarantees for [2026]. And I’m about to be on a new team in [2026].“They mad at they selves, for real. They just acting like they mad at me but they stupid-ass mad at they selves.”.

Right now, the olive branch is hard to ignore. The articles of conflict are still there—the claim that the 49ers would not part ways willingly, and the reference to contract guarantees being voided for 2026. But deleting the videos suggests Aiyuk may be shifting from confrontation to leverage.

The context is financial and deadline-driven. A season-ending injury carries the risk of the 49ers owing Aiyuk more than $26 million in 2026. If that scenario plays out and Aiyuk is in the building for an offseason moment. the 49ers would have a difficult choice—potentially releasing him the moment he walked through the door.

Complicating any immediate showdown, the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp has been canceled. That delay pushes the potentially awkward exchange between player and team further down the calendar, keeping the standoff in limbo rather than resolving it in person.

As it stands, the most practical path for Aiyuk is also the most pointed. He can report for training camp, insist on practicing, and wait for the 49ers to grant his release.

The 49ers, for their part, have been hoping for a trade. A trade would require a significant reworking of Aiyuk’s contract, but it would also create a clean win for a new team—one would get the benefit of having him in the building for the offseason program.

The specific reason Aiyuk deleted the videos isn’t known. Still, it isn’t hard to connect the timing to conversations behind the scenes—particularly because Aiyuk and 49ers G.M. John Lynch have a connection through independent relationships with agent Ryan Williams of Athletes First.

The deleted clips don’t erase the underlying disagreement. They just change the stage. And with 2026 already looming in Aiyuk’s words—$50 million in eight months. guarantees voided for 2026. and a potential price tag that could exceed $26 million if injury timing turns—this won’t be a story that stays emotional for long. It’s heading toward a decision point where both sides will have to act, not post.

Brandon Aiyuk San Francisco 49ers John Lynch Ryan Williams Athletes First NFL offseason training camp mandatory minicamp canceled contract guarantees 2026 trade talks player release