On June 16, star 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk posted a TikTok video with the caption, "I'm laughing but I'm crying [for real].”
In the video, Aiyuk told close friend and Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, “They said they don't want me back ... I swear,” regarding the All-Pro’s slow contract talks with San Francisco.
Aiyuk stunningly explained what the 49ers told him before his TikTok post in an appearance Friday on “The Pivot” podcast with co-hosts Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor.
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“They told me that they didn't think we were on the same page and they didn’t believe they were going to, and that was about it at that time,” Aiyuk said. “But it’s part of the contract negotiations.”
Aiyuk’s initial post made the situation appear much more grim than he indicated Friday.
While the two parties seem far from a deal, San Francisco and its team receiving yards leader remain focused on extending their dynamic partnership.
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The 26-year-old mentioned that he and his girlfriend, Rochelle Searight, are documenting much of their summer, hence why his moment was caught on camera. A big-time player on the field, Aiyuk is trying to be a storyteller off of it.
“We’re starting to get our own footage, recording everything,” Aiyuk said. “Just enjoying the process. Have my lady recording stuff, recording everything that’s going on so that I can look back on it. It’s an exciting time. It’s stressful, but it’s exciting.
“I want to have these memories. And that was just a moment she caught. Got off the phone with the Niners, they told me what they told me, I passed that information onto [Daniels].”
Aiyuk’s NFL future remains a mystery, but at least the TikTok drama seems dead. Now, the Faithful must wait and see if Aiyuk’s guess about his next team is accurate.