Brandon Aiyuk is clearly angling for a move to the Washington Commanders. That seems like a foregone conclusion at this point, and the parting shots are already coming from those within the San Francisco 49ers.
Veteran tight end George Kittle was the latest, taking a subtle swipe at Aiyuk and the potential drama he could bring to Washington next season.
Kittle was a strong supporter of Aiyuk. He is one of the few Niners players who acknowledged that the wide receiver looked sharp during his rehabilitation from a serious knee injury. Things quickly soured between the Arizona State product and the franchise, and his actions caused significant disdain in the building.
George Kittle warns Commanders what they could really get with Brandon Aiyuk
During an appearance on Pardon My Take, Kittle delved a little deeper into how fast Aiyuk was running, even though it was eight months ago. He also offered a veiled warning about what the Commanders would be getting with the 2020 first-round pick.
"I used to make it a habit of mine to go out early in the morning before meetings to watch him train because he'd always be out there early, and I watched him run over 22 miles per hour and watched him stop on a dime. He's still got him, but that was eight months ago, so I don't really know. You guys have fun with that, I guess... You have fun that all that comes with it."
And when PFT Commenter, a lifelong Washington fan, claimed Aiyuk would finally be happy with the Commanders, Kittle took another jab.
"I wouldn't be happy either after a team paid me a $130 million."
There is a lot of resentment being harbored by those in San Francisco. Aiyuk's primary goal was to engineer a move to Washington. His contract made it almost impossible to get any realistic trade offer, so a release seems inevitable at this point. And when this scenario becomes reality, the Commanders could make their move.
Aiyuk is a risk, but a calculated one.
He's missed a lot of football. He's been accused of being a distraction, especially when things aren't going his way. But being back with quarterback Jayden Daniels and general manager Adam Peters reduces the probability of problems emerging in Washington.
There are also two sides to every story.
Kittle and the Niners' locker room are hearing one thing from general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan. The club has moved on, and his stint with the team is done. At the same time, San Francisco can still make this as difficult as they like before eventually cutting ties.
Everyone needs to go their separate ways and be done with it. Swipes like this aren't helping. Neither is Aiyuk's social media activity. But for the Commanders, this is all about staying patient.
After all, they've come this far.
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