One of the strangest narratives to come out of the 2025 NFL season was the perceived split between Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers. Replete with locker room drama, ignored phone calls, and a high-speed video of the wide receiver flying past Levi Stadium in his luxury sports car, it was indeed a befuddling saga.
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All that drama has led to both fans and analysts assuming that the 2025 season would be Aiyuk’s final one in San Francisco. But the franchise continues to hold on. According to Richard Sherman, there is a valid reason for it.
“I see a lot of people commenting that the 49ers are holding him hostage and it’s unfair and they’re doing wrong by him,” Sherman noted during his podcast. “I don’t think so. I think the opposite.”
Aiyuk possesses the seventh most-valuable wide receiver contract in the NFL. That high value, as well as the recency of both his injury and extracurricular activities, makes Sherman believe that not many teams would even be interested in Aiyuk’s services.
“What would Brandon Aiyuk fetch in free agency right now?” Sherman asked, before stating the possible scenarios if the 49ers cut or trade him right now.
Richard Sherman shares his thoughts on the 49ers holding Brandon Aiyuk hostage:
“I see a lot of people commenting that the 49ers are holding him hostage and it’s unfair and they’re doing wrong by him. I want to give my two cents on that. I don’t think so. I think the opposite.… pic.twitter.com/slKzVKYGXl
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) March 16, 2026
“If they cut him, his contract is torn up, and somebody is gonna re-sign him for a one-year, prove-it kind of deal for 6, 7, or 8 million dollars a year, up to 12… If they trade him, his contract trades to whatever team he goes to,” said Sherman.
“If I’m Brandon Aiyuk, I’d want to be in that situation where I’m being traded on the contract I already have. Would you rather be cut and have to convince a team you’re worth $30 million a year, or get traded under the contract you already signed?” he added.
The 49ers’ recent acquisition of Mike Evans has only strengthened the idea that it’s merely a matter of time before Aiyuk is traded elsewhere. For Sherman, a seventh-round draft pick would “work” in the “best business interests” of both Aiyuk and San Francisco. However, as he mentioned, that’ll all depend on whether or not the franchise would be able to move him on his current deal.
It hasn’t been that long since Aiyuk gave fans one of the most efficient wide receiving seasons in all of modern history. We are talking about 2023, when he recorded career highs in receiving yards (1,342) and averaged 17.9 yards per catch. So his downfall with the 49ers should be considered as nothing short of a crying shame.
From Aiyuk’s voided contract guarantees to the team’s win totals, everyone involved in the situation has lost something of value. And until this toxic relationship is tied off for good, it only figures to become even more costly as time goes on.
