Brandon Aiyuk Says 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan Wants Him Back

The Brandon Aiyuk Saga keeps getting weirder.

Now, Aiyuk claims that 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan actually wants him back. Aiyuk wrote this today on his Instagram story.

"Coach want me to come back so I can draw all the coverage and make it easy for the guys for the guys that remind him of himself from back in his heyday 👎🤣🙍‍♂️🗑️"

The coach Aiyuk referring too presumably is Kyle Shanahan, who famously compared Ricky Pearsall to himself when the 49ers drafted Pearsall in 2024. This was when Aiyuk was fighting for his contract extension and the 49ers were thinking about trading him.

Aiyuk continued. "People have career years when 11 on the O! Everybody eat NO KIZZY!!! I hold a NFL RECORD for making plays w the least amount of opportunities!!! Im looking for MY opp cuz I'm gone capitalize and win a bowl! I'm not gone fumble it away!! I'm done playing backseat to folks who NOT like that!!! #TRUESTORY #FREEYUKE.

"I'm not returning to the power plant wtf 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣"

If you missed it, Aiyuk took a direct shot at Christian McCaffrey when he referenced fumbling away a Super Bowl. Because on the 49ers' first drive in that game, McCaffrey fumbled the ball away to the Chiefs when the 49ers were in the red zone. They ended up losing by three points. So you could argue that McCaffrey's turnover lost the game.

That was an unnecessary shot for Aiyuk to take. For all we know, McCaffrey never has taken any shots at Aiyuk publicly.

But the big news is that Aiyuk claims Shanahan wants him back. I'm not sure if I believe that Shanahan has reached out to Aiyuk and expressed a desire to actually bring him back to the team, but if he did, I commend him.

The 49ers need Aiyuk. He still is the best wide receiver on the roster. He and Mike Evans would form a terrific duo, which featured Aiyuk as the No. 1 receiver and Evans as the No. 2. With those two on the field, the 49ers would have a legitimate chance to win the Super Bowl.

Because the 49ers offense has suffered the past two seasons without Aiyuk, particularly the running game, which no longer benefits from the threat Aiyuk poses on the outside and his ability to block on the perimeter. As a result, McCaffrey has averaged less than 4 yards per carry the past two seasons.

If the 49ers were smart, they would give Aiyuk back his guarantees, smooth over the relationship and keep him on the team. But they won't, because punishing him is a business decision, not a football decision.

What a shame.

Add us as a preferred source on Google