Brandon Aiyuk has spent much of the offseason making sure people know exactly how he feels. The current (and soon-to-be former) San Francisco 49ers wide receiver has used social media videos and posts to air his frustrations, take shots at the organization, make his feelings about his future known and, at times, turn his ongoing situation into something of a public spectacle.
And, to be fair, it has worked. People have watched. People have talked. And the media has followed every twist and turn.
But now, the calendar has turned to July 25, and the 49ers are beginning training camp. That changes everything. The question is no longer whether Aiyuk can get people's attention. He already has. The question is whether anyone will continue to care now that real football is starting.
Aiyuk has clearly figured out something important about the modern NFL. If you have something to say, you don't necessarily have to wait for a reporter to ask you. You can just turn on the camera. And Aiyuk has done that...over and over again.
But training camp is a different animal. Once the 49ers begin practicing, the attention Aiyuk has sought all offseason will shift toward football. That's how it works.
Fans will want to know how the Brock Purdy to Mike Evans connection looks. They'll want updates on Nick Bosa and George Kittle. They'll want to see what the young receivers are doing. They'll be watching to see if Ricky Pearsall is staying healthy. They'll be talking about the offensive line, the defense, the rookies, offseason additions, and whether this team is capable of making another run at the Super Bowl.
The daily drama surrounding Aiyuk will eventually become yesterday's news. Aiyuk will keep feeding it. But people will care less.
Will that stop him, though? Will Aiyuk continue making videos once 49ers training camp begins? My guess: Yes. At least for a while. Because Aiyuk has discovered that he has a direct line to the public, and he appears comfortable using it.
Aiyuk is not shy. He's not afraid of the spotlight. And he's not afraid to share his belief that he's one of the best wide receivers in the game. But there is a difference between getting attention and keeping attention. Up until now, Aiyuk has been one of the biggest stories surrounding the 49ers because he has created the story himself. That won't last forever.
At some point, the cameras will turn toward the players who are actually on the field. The 49ers' rookies will make plays. Someone will have a breakout practice. Someone else will have a terrible practice. An injury will happen. And suddenly, the Brandon Aiyuk saga won't be the biggest thing happening in Santa Clara anymore. That's when this gets interesting.
If Aiyuk continues making videos, will people still watch? Will fans still care? Will the media still pick up every post? Or will the reaction eventually become, "Oh, there's another Aiyuk video? I guess I missed that one."
I doubt fans and media will care nearly as much. And that could be deflating for Aiyuk, who admitted after signing his new contract in 2024 that he enjoyed the attention he was getting during his hold-in. That attention, which he's lived off for months, may soon come to an end. What will Aiyuk do then?
I expect he will continue making videos. But the attention he receives won't be the same. The irony is that the more he talks, the less shocking each new video becomes. The first video is news. The second is interesting. Eventually, however, the tenth video is just another video by someone desperate for attention.
And with training camp beginning, Aiyuk may soon discover that the attention he has enjoyed all offseason is about to be replaced by something more compelling—football. And that attention is much harder to control. And as Aiyuk is about to learn, it's impossible to compete with.
Comments