The San Francisco 49ers are certainly well-equipped to make a deep run in the postseason once again in 2025. However, the stars will need to align more for the franchise this year than they did in 2024.
Avoiding injuries is easier said than done, but the team dumped several of their most injury-prone players this offseason. General manager John Lynch opted instead for much younger or more durable players.
Star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is expected to return to form this season after tearing his ACL in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs last year. Unfortunately, he seems to still be upset with the team on a personal level despite signing a $120 million extension last offseason.
Brandon Aiyuk's 49ers future continues to be called into question
Aiyuk and the 49ers have been like oil and water for at least the last year, and the five-year veteran has been the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason once again. He threw more fuel into the fire on Monday when he made a cryptic post on his YouTube page.
"They was talking bout trading me while I was off Percocets /muscle relaxers and peeing in a cup by my bed!" Aiyuk wrote. "Couldn’t walk for 10 weeks ain’t nobody trading for me 🤣💀."
While it is unclear exactly what Aiyuk is hinting at with this message, the words convey a general frustration with the 49ers. This is nothing new for San Francisco fans, as this saga has been dragged on for far longer than it needed to be.
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Fortunately, the 49ers have several strong pass-catching options outside of Aiyuk, regardless of what they decide to do with him. George Kittle is still arguably the best tight end in the league and both Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall are underrated receivers.
Not to mention, when healthy, Christian McCaffrey is a legitimate receiving threat out of the backfield and Kyle Shanahan is a mastermind offensively. So, this team is built to survive no matter how things pan out between Aiyuk and the front office.
Hopefully, things can get settled before the season and Aiyuk is wearing the Red and Gold once again. However, 49ers fans know all too well what it looks like when a player does not want to be a part of the organization, and they have no control over Aiyuk in that respect.