Brandon Aiyuk is back in the spotlight, this time with a direct message of his own. The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver addressed trade rumors head-on in a candid post on his YouTube channel, pushing back against speculation that surfaced while he was sidelined with an injury.
“They was talking bout trading me while I was off percocets /muscle relaxers and peeing in a cup by my bed! Couldn’t walk for 10 weeks ain’t nobody trading for me 🤣💀,” Aiyuk said in a post on his social media.
It was an honest expression of feeling blindsided. At 27, Aiyuk wasn’t simply sidelined—he was sedated, immobile, and dependent on a cup to relieve himself, hardly in any condition for trade consideration. Aiyuk was in the midst of a grueling recovery from a major knee injury that included torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus ligaments, making the timing of the trade chatter feel even more disheartening.
Last year, the 49ers came close to trading All-Pro wide receiver to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the deal fell apart at the last moment. According to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, Aiyuk agreed to a contract extension with San Francisco while general manager John Lynch was still on the phone negotiating with Steelers GM Omar Khan.
Brandon Aiyuk with the 49ers
Aiyuk ended up agreeing to a four-year, $120 million extension to stay with the 49ers—a contract that came under scrutiny after he suffered an ACL tear just seven games into the season.
Even after dealing Pro Bowl wideout Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders earlier in the offseason, San Francisco was still reportedly looking for opportunities to offload Aiyuk’s deal.
According to ESPN, the 49ers were actively searching for a trade partner for the 27-year-old before his $22.85 million bonus became guaranteed on April 1. With that payout now complete, it all but guarantees Aiyuk will remain in San Francisco for the 2025 season.
Aiyuk is recovering from one of the most serious injuries of his career—a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee suffered in October—which likely limited the number of teams willing to pursue a trade for him back in March.
The Steelers, who made headlines by acquiring former Seahawks star DK Metcalf and trading George Pickens to the Cowboys in two major offseason moves, were once again rumored to Aiyuk.
After missing all of training camp last year due to a contract holdout, Aiyuk started the season noticeably out of rhythm. The former 1,000-yard wideout posted just one 100-yard performance, had five or more receptions in only two games, and didn’t find the end zone once. He ended the year with 25 catches for 374 yards across seven games.
Given the severity of his knee injury, there’s a legitimate concern he might face the same issues when he returns in 2025.
