Brandon Aiyuk is a Quitter! Pick #25, 2020 NFL Draft

Originally posted by frenchmov:
And yet many teammates say they hadn't seen him around, hadn't heard from him. When was the last time you saw him in any reports that he was with the team, on the sidelines, in the lockerroom? Bourne said week 1

"So he's MIA, too, within the building, man. So it's been tough. I've been praying for him, man, because I know how tough it is when you're chasing certain things and what you gain. So it's concerning. It's very concerning. So all I can really do is pray for him."

My take is Aiyuk got paid, possibly offended everyone but Kyle wanted him gone in 2024, said well f**k this team, didn't do what he was supposed to do, got his guarantees voided, and then fully just quit on the team.

If some other crazy story comes out to be the truth years later I'll say I was wrong. But to ignore what we do know to just chase the what if stories doesn't work for me

As I mentioned, Kyle Shanahan said he was rehabbing with the team as late as November:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/47065408/niners-shanahan-admits-aiyuk-contract-situation-unusual

He was there in August, as noted by reporters:

https://ninernoise.com/brandon-aiyuk-sure-media-took-note-progress-49ers-practice

As far as being in the locker room and on the sideline, his time with the team was over. He was never on the active roster. I don't think it's surprising for him to refuse to cheerlead for an organization that had effectively severed ties with him in July (regardless of his share of the blame).

*To add to this post, here's an additional quote from Bourne from the same interview you quoted which really isn't in agreement with what you said:

https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/kendrick-bourne-brandon-aiyuk-communication/1903420/?amp=1

"When I first got in the building -- I missed Week 1 -- I saw him a little bit, so I didn't really know what was going on," Bourne said. "I was just pouring into him like, 'Hey, man, how are you doing?' Seeing him in the sauna sometimes, rehabbing. Then all the things happened.''

The quote was from late December, multiple weeks after he had actually stopped participating and was placed on the reserve/left squad list (Dec 13). It doesn't seem to hard to conclude he would have been on that list much earlier if he wasn't participating with, or responding to, the team

Like I posted way back, why is it hard to believe BOTH sides (Front Office, Aiyuk) got what they wanted. FO found a small opening/violation (which they have looked passed for other players) to get out of the contract they didn't want to give Aiyuk. On Aiyuk side, he didn't want to risk getting injuried for this front office/Kyle... even at the expense of his teammates/this season. Aiyuk just focusing on getting in shape and ready for 2026 with a new team, fresh start. Instead of rushing back for this front office/Kyle.

It's why he isn't fighting anything.. even though the PA fights anything for bargaining.

FO decided to move on... Aiyuk decided to move on.

The only fools were Kyle and fans who thought that Aiyuk would come back during the season lol.

"Aiyuk needs to come back and play.. to prove himself for other teams next year!" 😆

Aiyuk hasn't gotten anything yet. He's on the left the team list. Not quite sure what you are talking about. He could end up on a terrible team, getting paid less. And he might have to pay back some money for 2025.

Originally posted by SmokeyJoe:
Without knowing what he did, it's hard to make this kind of judgement. It's especially hard given the 49ers ultimately got what they wanted here: 27 million in cash savings and the functional end of the contract.

What Aiyuk did could have been minor and something they've made exceptions for in the past for players they actually wanted to keep.

Question, why do you think Aiyuk would change his agent given the agent's relationship with Lynch?

Maybe I'll eat these words eventually if new information comes out but right now I don't follow your logic at all.

If what Aiyuk did was so minor and something we've let slide in the past then why wouldn't he or the NFLPA file a grievance? If you have examples of a franchise letting whatever he did slide in the past then there is clear precedent to fight or at least file a grievance.

Simply checking out or being lazy about doing the necessary things to make the team unable to go get your guarantees shouldn't be brushed aside. The fact that nobody fought that tells me a lot honestly.

Like I said before just because a team can brush things off doesn't mean the player should be given a pass. Aiyuk opened himself to that happening and didn't fight it meaning he knows he messed up. Then he still had a chance to help this team and also show other teams he's still got it. He chose to let his teammates struggle without him and left himself as a huge question mark for other teams.

If he's simply looking to push his way out to play with his buddy in Washington and suddenly doesn't care about money then I wish him nothing well on the football field. But I do hope he's ok mentally off the field.

Which is worst, AB walking off shirtless middle of the game or BA ghosting.

Originally posted by qnnhan7:
Which is worst, AB walking off shirtless middle of the game or BA ghosting.

AB - it was a terrible look for the league.

He has to be cut first and this is uncharted waters. He may rot there as a cut could trigger all his prorated money to be pushed forward to this year so we have to wait and see

It may benefit us for him to be left on the left squad reserve list if that's the best move financially. All this speculation about him playing elsewhere is still just a pipe dream right now because we have to do what's best for our pockets and if letting him rot on the left squad list is the move then so be it.

This situation is unprecedented and it is not exactly spelled out how this impacts us going forward financially. Right now he's not bothering the team one bit but it's right now gonna come down to money for us

Originally posted by Crown:

Originally posted by qnnhan7:
Which is worst, AB walking off shirtless middle of the game or BA ghosting.

AB - it was a terrible look for the league.

Optic wise yeah definitely. I think money wise, losing 27mil, BA got the beer.

Originally posted by genus49:
Maybe I'll eat these words eventually if new information comes out but right now I don't follow your logic at all.

If what Aiyuk did was so minor and something we've let slide in the past then why wouldn't he or the NFLPA file a grievance? If you have examples of a franchise letting whatever he did slide in the past then there is clear precedent to fight or at least file a grievance.

Simply checking out or being lazy about doing the necessary things to make the team unable to go get your guarantees shouldn't be brushed aside. The fact that nobody fought that tells me a lot honestly.

Like I said before just because a team can brush things off doesn't mean the player should be given a pass. Aiyuk opened himself to that happening and didn't fight it meaning he knows he messed up. Then he still had a chance to help this team and also show other teams he's still got it. He chose to let his teammates struggle without him and left himself as a huge question mark for other teams.

If he's simply looking to push his way out to play with his buddy in Washington and suddenly doesn't care about money then I wish him nothing well on the football field. But I do hope he's ok mentally off the field.

Correct. The mental gymnastics you have to do to piece together something in aiyuks favor here is funny but these are the "both sides" days so pretty normal

Originally posted by SmokeyJoe:

Originally posted by frenchmov:
You don't need to trust the front office, you can look at the voided guarantees that were not disputed by BA, his agent or the nflpa. That is unheard of.

The nflpa will dispute anything and everything. That is what they're paid to do: advocate for the players. They've even disputed stuff for the players when there is literally video evidence to the contrary. So, you can put 2 and 2 together here.

This only addresses whether the 49ers had the right to void Aiyuk's guarantees… nothing else of substance.

Look at DK Metcalf's situation this past season in Pittsburgh. He was handed a suspension from the league for his altercation with a fan in Detroit. The suspension gave the Steelers the right to void $45 million in future guarantees. They opted not to do so.

Without seeing the language in Aiyuk's contract and the action(s) Aiyuk took that violated its terms, we don't have a clear view of the situation. As KJ said 'the devil is in the details'.

Having followed this situation closely going back to the negotiations around his extension, it seems plausible to me that the team's action here was less about egregious behavior on his part and more about their desire to get out of the contract. A contract that was the source of internal dispute. It's certainly more fitting with what is publicly known.

49ers FO = GOD everyone else is always wrong. Do not wait for petty facts.

Originally posted by genus49:
Maybe I'll eat these words eventually if new information comes out but right now I don't follow your logic at all.

If what Aiyuk did was so minor and something we've let slide in the past then why wouldn't he or the NFLPA file a grievance? If you have examples of a franchise letting whatever he did slide in the past then there is clear precedent to fight or at least file a grievance.

Simply checking out or being lazy about doing the necessary things to make the team unable to go get your guarantees shouldn't be brushed aside. The fact that nobody fought that tells me a lot honestly.

Like I said before just because a team can brush things off doesn't mean the player should be given a pass. Aiyuk opened himself to that happening and didn't fight it meaning he knows he messed up. Then he still had a chance to help this team and also show other teams he's still got it. He chose to let his teammates struggle without him and left himself as a huge question mark for other teams.

If he's simply looking to push his way out to play with his buddy in Washington and suddenly doesn't care about money then I wish him nothing well on the football field. But I do hope he's ok mentally off the field.

French has raised this point a few times as well, but it falls flat. The players union is not going to file a grievance against a team on behalf of a player without the consent and cooperation of the player.

I'll reiterate that I'm not absolving Aiyuk of the likelihood that he violated the terms of his contract in some form or fashion, which is ultimately what would matter in a contractual dispute. That's not factoring any other reason Aiyuk may have chosen to not challenge the grievance outside of actually being in violation of the contracts terms.

It's hard to speak to Aiyuk's mental health or the team's motivating factor(s) without knowing the specifics.

Originally posted by frenchmov:
Correct. The mental gymnastics you have to do to piece together something in aiyuks favor here is funny but these are the "both sides" days so pretty normal

Mental gymnastics, lol. If that's what you want to call understanding publicly known facts, the timeline, and the fact that we are missing specific details, that's your prerogative.

Originally posted by Pillbusta:
He has to be cut first and this is uncharted waters. He may rot there as a cut could trigger all his prorated money to be pushed forward to this year so we have to wait and see

It may benefit us for him to be left on the left squad reserve list if that's the best move financially. All this speculation about him playing elsewhere is still just a pipe dream right now because we have to do what's best for our pockets and if letting him rot on the left squad list is the move then so be it.

This situation is unprecedented and it is not exactly spelled out how this impacts us going forward financially. Right now he's not bothering the team one bit but it's right now gonna come down to money for us

It really isn't complicated. Broadly speaking, we're going to take a ~ 30 million dollar dead cap hit when he's released, and that isn't changing with the possible exception that he retires.

The left squad list doesn't carry over from year to year. The team cannot choose to place Aiyuk on the list independent of Aiyuk reporting and it's not in the 49ers interest to push the cap hit into the future.

Originally posted by SmokeyJoe:
It really isn't complicated. Broadly speaking, we're going to take a ~ 30 million dollar dead cap hit when he's released, and that isn't changing with the possible exception that he retires.

The left squad list doesn't carry over from year to year. The team cannot choose to place Aiyuk on the list independent of Aiyuk reporting and it's not in the 49ers interest to push the cap hit into the future.

This is unprecedented and I will watch and see because a precedent will be set

Originally posted by SmokeyJoe:
Mental gymnastics, lol. If that's what you want to call understanding publicly known facts, the timeline, and the fact that we are missing specific details, that's your prerogative.

As is your prerogative to both sides an issue for the sake of saying "but what if????" instead of looking at what is there in front of you.