By now, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has been tied in trade rumors to half the NFL. Colin Cowherd begged the question by asking whether Aiyuk wanted to win or watch the playoffs from the sidelines like Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill, via The Herd.
“Brandon Aiyuk will never play in his career if he leaves San Francisco with a better offensive coach,” Cowherd stated plainly.
If Aiyuk did make it to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin has had his fair share of prolific wide receivers. Unfortunately, the Steelers offense hasn't been the same since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season.
“Tyreek Hill, remember when he mattered in January and February?” Cowherd continued to question rhetorically. “‘Hey, but he got the bag!' But he's irrelevant when it matters now. He watches the games like all of us, on television.”
Brandon Aiyuk's future if he leaves 49ers
The hyperbolic, point-making conversations across sports media don't matter. And some NFL players may feel that chasing a legacy or a bust in Canton may be irrelevant. If Aiyuk doesn't exactly care in the same way that “he should” about playing on a great team with great coaches in important games in “January and February,” then that's his right.
Hill started somewhere new and took a chance on the Dolphins. Whether you want to attribute their improved 2023 season to Hill, Mike McDaniel, Tua Tagovailoa or some combination thereof, every person has a right to live their own life.
At 26 years old, like Aiyuk, how many of us have a nine-figure sum of money coming to play football? Because Cowherd presents a salient point with decent logic, he's only doing his job. He's living his life and ticking his boxes. So, give Aiyuk the same leeway to pursue what he wants and what is important to him. The soon-to-be fifth-year wide receiver is standing on business.
After months of Aiyuk trade hysteria, the 49ers believe they should move on. Should we have seen this coming when San Francisco drafted WR Ricky Pearsall with the 31st overall pick? Maybe a little. There have been headlines about how the 49ers must be creative to stay under the cap with so many big contracts.
Team loyalty in sports is a fairy tale, and it requires a two-way street. Why not blame the 49ers for not sticking with their guys instead of putting the onus on Aiyuk alone? Whatever he decides is best for him, and his family should be good enough for the rest of us.
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