San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk had a quiet showing in the team’s 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII. Since then, the chatter surrounding his future has been quite loud.
The 25-year-old is headed into the final year of his rookie contract since the 49ers picked up his fifth-year option last April. On Tuesday, he addressed reporters in the 49ers’ locker room. Clearly emotional and covering his eyes with sunglasses, he admitted that the loss was the most difficult defeat of his career. But he stayed vague about where he hopes his career will take him next.
“If that’s the right move, yeah,” he answered when asked if he’d like to remain in San Francisco. In response to a follow-up question about what the right move would look like, he said, “Being a champion.”
Brandon Aiyuk might be moving on from the San Francisco 49ers. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
He turned around to face his locker and said “That’s all I got,” when a question about his journey with the team almost brought him to tears.
Aiyuk recorded three catches on six targets for 49 yards in Sunday’s loss, a departure from the performance that saw his miraculous catch spark San Francisco’s comeback against the Detroit Lions in the NFC championship.
Aiyuk is a potential trade candidate if he and the team can’t agree on a long-term extension, and social media posts from the wideout and his inner circle after the Super Bowl suggest that negotiations might not be easy.
On Monday after the loss, Aiyuk posted a black Instagram story captioned “Don’t forget what got you there” with eye emojis.
Earlier that day, his girlfriend, Rochelle Searight, posted a TikTok that implied Aiyuk’s days with the 49ers are numbered.
“This might have been the last day we touched foot on Levi’s Stadium,” she said in the video, “Because we might not be out here next season.” She captioned the video “Happy 49ers Travel Day of Shame,” explaining that she was picking up Aiyuk after the…
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