Forty Niner (eventually ex-Forty Niner) wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has recently taken to social media to express his displeasure with the organization, at times naming the team directly and at other times alluding to the team's management.

In one, he called the powers-that-be "stupid," "mad," and even "stupid ass mad."


A few days ago, he went on a rant, telling the team (unnamed, but no need), "Strop running from the belt. The belt coming. You scared." If the belt is a metaphor for an abusive parent, it is quite a statement. Apparently, Aiyuk feels he will abuse the 49ers when they play.

If the 49ers wanted to respond to the accusation of fear, they might offer a brief statement of their own: "Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. Please catch balls over the middle."

But there are a few things we do know about Aiyuk:

  1. He will not play for the 49ers again. Stop saying "most likely."
  2. He has done everything possible to make other teams reluctant to trade for or sign him.

The 49ers indeed regretted signing him to a big contract, but it is also true that if BA had attacked his rehab the way linebacker Fred Warner attacked his and come back hungry and ready to set the league on fire, owner Jed York would have felt less remorse.

But the only one who is crazy or stupid is BA himself.


If he wants out that badly, he might ask himself the following:

Did breaking off contact with the 49ers make me more or less attractive to other teams?

Is my silence about my current health and physical readiness to play a selling point for teams interested in my services?

Since my agent is apparently unable to provide any details about my condition or my attitude toward a new contract, does that lack of information look good to other teams?

While the silence regarding my health is one thing, are my emotional outbursts at my current employer something a new employer would want to take on?


How would other owners feel about being insulted—and insulted publicly?

I worry about Aiyuk's mental health. The emotional outbursts, some of which border on incoherence, don't point to soundness of mind. The fact that his agent seems to be in the dark is also something one does not see in professional sports. I can't imagine his agent didn't advise him to stay in contact with the club, attend all rehab appointments, and so on. Generally speaking, when an athlete disagrees with his representation on such fundamental issues, the two part company. That is not the case.

Brandon Aiyuk is demonstrating a level of foolishness and lack of maturity I have not seen before. He was a talented player, and I do not remember his being a bad teammate. I think of all of the actions of Charles Haley before he got diagnosed with bipolar disease, and it is sad to look back at what could have been if he had gotten that diagnosis and the help he needed earlier in his life. He really suffered.

I hope Aiyuk gets whatever help he needs. I hope he can get his career and, more importantly, his life, on track.

And the only football advice I would give him is that if he plays against the 49ers, remember who is manning the middle of the field.

Written By:

Jack Stewart


Jack Stewart was educated at Alabama and Emory and was a Brittain Fellow at Georgia Tech. His poetry has been published widely in the US and several other countries. His book No Reason was published in the Poeima Poetry Series in 2020.
All articles by Jack Stewart


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