George Kittle Warned Everyone About Brandon Aiyuk And He Is Right
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Brandon Aiyuk wants out of San Francisco, and he’s making sure everyone knows it. The wide receiver recently posted a video shouting “Go Commanders!” on Instagram, the latest move in a prolonged campaign to force the 49ers into a trade. Washington appears to be his preferred destination, and Aiyuk has posted multiple videos taking shots at the franchise over the past several months.
The 49ers haven’t moved, though. San Francisco continues to hold firm, leaving Aiyuk in a frustrating holding pattern heading into training camp. His options are narrowing — unless he shows up and fully forces the team’s hand, this stalemate could drag deep into the summer.
What George Kittle Really Said About Brandon Aiyuk
That’s where 49ers tight end George Kittle stepped in with one of the more telling comments of this entire ordeal. During a Monday appearance on Pardon My Take, Kittle gave the Commanders a dose of reality when asked what Washington should expect from Aiyuk. The talent is undeniable. But Kittle didn’t exactly give a glowing endorsement.
“The last time I saw Aiyuk was, call it Week 6, 7, or 8. I don’t really know,” Kittle said. “I used to make it a habit of mine to go out early in the morning before meetings to watch him train because he’d always be out there early, and I watched him run over 22 miles an hour and stop on a dime. So, he’s still got it, or at least that was a year, eight months ago, so I don’t really know. But you guys have fun with that, I guess . . . You have fun with all that comes with it.”
Kittle also fired off a pointed quip about Aiyuk’s happiness, suggesting that he “wouldn’t be happy either after a team paid me $130 million.” That’s a reference to the massive extension Aiyuk signed before the 2024 season — the same deal that caused the 49ers to call off an earlier trade. San Francisco would probably love a do-over on that sequence.
Brandon Aiyuk’s Future and the 49ers’ Trade Dilemma
Aiyuk hasn’t played since suffering a serious knee injury during the 2024 season, which adds another layer of risk for any team looking to acquire him. His recovery appears on track — Kittle’s early-morning scouting report suggests the explosiveness is still there — but no team has seen him in a live game setting in nearly two years. That uncertainty alone complicates any trade package San Francisco might demand.
For fans who’ve followed the 49ers receiver drama closely, this situation rhymes with past San Francisco wide receiver controversies — big talent, big money, big noise. Washington, for its part, has made clear it wants Aiyuk, but the Commanders must weigh the enthusiasm of a disgruntled player arriving on a massive deal against real injury uncertainty. According to NFL trade market analysis, deals involving players at Aiyuk’s cap number typically require significant draft capital in return, which further complicates Washington’s calculus.
The Commanders have the weapons and the cap space to make a run at him. But Kittle’s warning wasn’t accidental. He knows Aiyuk better than most — and his send-off sounded more like a disclaimer than a recommendation. Whatever Washington decides, it walks into this trade with both eyes open and George Kittle’s smirk in the rearview mirror.
