“We love Brandon Aiyuk, and I’m excited about Brandon being a part of this team,” general manager John Lynch said back in April 2023, months before signing Brandon Aiyuk to a four-year, $120 million extension. Since then, however, a lot has changed. Aiyuk’s behavior has shifted, and Lynch has since confirmed that the wide receiver has played his last snap for the San Francisco 49ers.

Add in Aiyuk’s repeated social media jabs at the team, its general manager, and its head coach, and it’s fair to say this has become one of the NFL’s most inevitable breakups. That’s exactly why former 49ers Director of Player Personnel Ran Carthon admitted he was shocked by Aiyuk’s sudden change in behavior and wants to reach out to the receiver.

“There’s something there, and I’m being as transparent as transparent can be,” Carthon said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “B.A. and I, we have a relationship. I was there when we drafted him, and through time spent in the same building, we have a relationship. I honestly have been going back and forth in my head over the last week or so and I really want to reach out to him on a personal level and see if he’s willing to have the conversation, because I think there’s something there that hasn’t quite been unlocked.

“I don’t know if ‘unlocked’ is the right word. But I do agree with you, this isn’t the Brandon Aiyuk I know. Now, I know him to be stubborn, so I know that part about him. But this recent behavior, I’m not as familiar with.”

Aiyuk hit a rough patch with the 49ers during his contract negotiations in the 2024 offseason. While the 49ers eventually signed him on a deal, things went south after the receiver suffered an ACL and LCL tear during the 2024 season.

Just last offseason, the 49ers had voided the receiver’s guaranteed money for the 2026 season after he failed to show up at the rehab facility. San Francisco placed him on reserve/left, cutting off all remaining pay. Amid all the drama, Aiyuk has started posting on social media about how the 49ers treated him and also expressed his desire to play for the Washington Commanders in 2026.

Most recently, Aiyuk noted that the team hasn’t paid him in the last 17 months. Ironically, the receiver had earlier called the 49ers “stupid” for paying him around $50 million in one year.

“I haven’t received a single cent from them in 17 months,” Aiyuk posted on Instagram. “Folks tryna hold me captive lol. Then my guarantees were voided in July of 2025. This s— is modern-day ⛓️.”

Now, Carthon wants to reach out to Brandon Aiyuk and have a conversation with the receiver. But that doesn’t guarantee his behavior toward the 49ers will change. After all, he has taken shots at Lynch and his own agent, Ryan Williams, calling them “Weirdos” and “Creepy predators.” Besides, he noted that head coach Kyle Shanahan has a “temperament of a f—ing toddler.”

So it’s safe to say that Brandon Aiyuk’s time in San Francisco is seemingly up. Whether his social media rants would affect his signing with the Commanders or any other team remains to be seen.