Brandon Aiyuk and 49ers Feud Rages Harder Than Ever

The San Francisco 49ers and former All-Pro receiver Brandon Aiyuk find themselves in a difficult and complicated situation.

Earlier this month, the 49ers placed Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list, effectively ending the dynamic playmaker’s 2025 season before it even began. This roster move is particularly significant because the reserve/left squad designation is typically reserved for NFL players who are on the verge of retirement or must step away from their football duties for personal reasons. Neither of these circumstances accurately applies to Aiyuk, who is still in the process of recovering from a severe knee injury—a torn ACL and MCL sustained during the 2024 campaign. While this injury alone might have sidelined him for the entirety of the 2025 season, the current situation complicates matters further.

Adding to the intrigue, Aiyuk recently posted a video on his YouTube channel—a platform where he has previously stirred controversy—depicting himself driving a Cadillac CT5-V at dangerously high speeds in and around Santa Clara County. In the footage, he is seen racing along Tasman Drive, a roadway that runs adjacent to Levi’s Stadium, reaching speeds as high as 104 miles per hour. This is particularly alarming given that the posted speed limit on Tasman Drive is only 40 miles per hour, meaning Aiyuk was exceeding the limit by more than two and a half times. Such reckless behavior not only raises questions about his decision-making off the field, but also potentially jeopardizes his professional standing and relationship with the team.

This incident occurs just days after the 49ers’ head coach, Kyle Shanahan, publicly revealed his frustrations regarding his attempts to reconnect with Aiyuk over the course of the season. Shanahan acknowledged on Thursday that he had repeatedly tried to bring Aiyuk back into the fold following the player’s season-ending injury in 2024, but has been met with silence. “I’ve been trying to get him back to our team ever since then, and haven’t been able to pull that off,” Shanahan said. “So, I haven’t really had the opportunity to get him fully integrated with our team. He’s been extremely distant since he got hurt. I was hoping that would change once he got healthy, but it never happened.”

Together, these developments paint a complex picture of a talented athlete at a crossroads—physically recovering from a significant injury, yet facing mounting challenges off the field that threaten to derail both his career and his relationship with the 49ers. The coming weeks will be critical in determining whether Aiyuk can navigate this difficult period and find his way back to the team and the game he clearly loves.