Brandon Aiyuk’s public war with the San Francisco 49ers has descended to a new low, with the receiver accusing the franchise of being ‘stupid’ for paying him tens of millions of dollars before effectively showing him the door.

In a video posted to Instagram, Aiyuk claimed the organisation’s anger stemmed not from his behaviour, but from its own decisions, and followed a similar outburst posted at the weekend.

“And another thing. You want to know why they really mad, though?” Aiyuk wrote Wednesday. “They mad ‘cause they stupid. They dumb. They mad that they paid me $50 million in eight months and then voided my guarantees for 20-27. And I’m about to be on a new team in 20-27. They mad at themselves for real. They acting like they mad at me, but they stupid ass mad at themselves.”

The 28-year-old had previously launched another extraordinary tirade aimed at his current employers, in which he referred to the 49ers as ‘Ass boys, little ass boys’ in a separate video posted on Sunday.

“Man, stop running from the belt,” the disenfranchised receiver continued. “The belt coming. You scared, they scared. Truth is, they scared. “They gonna say, ‘Oh yeah, BA, BA, BA did this, BA did that. BA did, you know that sh*t, allegedly. Allegedly. But what they not gonna say is, ‘BA suck at football,’ because they know how I get.

“And they running from that belt that’s on the way. It’s inevitable. It’s coming. Stop running. Stop being a female dog. Stop being a little cat. Stop running from the belt.”

While Aiyuk seems content to perpetuate the situation, the 49ers claim to have moved on from a relationship that appeared beyond repair months ago. Speaking at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, general manager John Lynch all but confirmed Aiyuk’s time in San Francisco was over.

“The plan in terms of the transaction that will come in due time, I think it’s safe to say that he has played his last snap with the 49ers,” Lynch commented. “It’s an unfortunate situation that just went awry. I will look long and hard at what could have been done differently, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out. I think that this was a case where that happened.”

When asked what had caused the breakdown, Lynch added simply: “I wish I knew. Can’t help you there. Sorry.”

Head coach Kyle Shanahan sounded equally bewildered, saying, “There’s not much of an explanation because it’s really hard for us, and anyone else, to understand. That’s why it’s something I’ve never seen in 22 years of coaching. It’s unfortunate. It’s confusing because it’s confusing for all of us.”

Shanahan also acknowledged that communication between player and club had largely ceased, a remarkable state of affairs considering the two sides had ended their lengthy contract dispute less than two years earlier when Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120m extension.

At the time, the agreement was viewed as a reward for a player coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and an important part of the franchise’s championship aspirations. But a torn ACL and MCL suffered during the 2024 season altered the trajectory of both Aiyuk’s career and his relationship with the organisation. Disagreements surrounding his rehabilitation and participation requirements eventually led the club to void future guarantees, creating the financial grievance that has become central to Aiyuk’s increasingly public complaints.

The deterioration of the relationship has also coincided with issues away from football, with Aiyuk appearing to reference criticism of his off-field conduct during his first video when he sarcastically noted that the 49ers would point to things he had done ‘allegedly’.

Earlier this month, authorities issued an arrest warrant for the receiver after he failed to appear in court on a misdemeanour charge relating to ‘exhibition of speed’. The case stemmed from social media footage showing Aiyuk driving his Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing at speeds reportedly exceeding 100mph near Levi’s Stadium. Following the incident, Aiyuk apologised and promised there would be ‘no more car content with speeding’, but reports have also detailed other incidents involving excessive speed over the past year, adding another layer to a period that has seen injuries, contract disputes and public recriminations steadily erode one of the NFL’s most productive player-team partnerships.

Despite the acrimony, however, Aiyuk remains convinced he will emerge elsewhere, claiming ‘I’m about to be on a new team in 20-27’ in his latest Instagram appearance.

On that point, at least, the receiver and the 49ers appear to agree. Washington has long been listed as a potential destination for Aiyuk, having already rehabilitated former 49ers team-mate Deebo Samuel, but, just this week, rumours surfaced that the Dallas Cowboys had moved to the top of the list of likely suitors. From the 49ers’ perspective, patience makes sense. A post-June 1st move would reduce any salary cap pain associated with a trade, while releasing Aiyuk outright would provide little benefit. The organisation still controls his rights and, despite the public hostility, could wait for another club to meet its asking price.

The situation, however, has also become a test of how much value outweighs baggage in the modern NFL. Aiyuk is only 28-years-old and, when healthy, ranked among the league’s most dynamic receivers. Yet his recent absence from the field, combined with the very public nature of his grievances, has undoubtedly complicated — and maybe eradicated — his market, regardless of his personal optimism.