The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[skinsinparadise]

 

[NickyJ]

He'd need that jacket for how frosty a reception he'd get from me. At least he isn't trying to use another one of our Super Bowls as a prop.

 

[Conn]

Not sure people need to be so up in arms about this. He’s not doing it just to antagonize his current team… He’s also trying to join our team. If he were ‘using’ our history in a derogatory way, it would be different, but that’s not the case.

He doesn’t need to do any of this to join our team, he just needs to show up to his current team when the time comes.

He’s clearly just being an asshole, throwing it in their faces that he is going to get what he wants eventually and childishly thinking he’s accomplishing something, as if he can leverage them by being annoying. His posts about us aren’t really about us at all, even though he does obviously want to come here. He’s absolutely antagonizing them because he feels they’ve started it by not already cutting him.

In the same way it can be fun when you’re young, but not really attractive, for a new girlfriend to use you to publicly make an ex jealous…this is not showing attractive qualities from Aiyuk. He doesn’t need to do any of this to end up with us, he wants to make waves and be talked about, wants to needle them.

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

He doesn’t need to do any of this to join our team, he just needs to show up to his current team when the time comes.

He’s clearly just being an asshole, throwing it in their faces that he is going to get what he wants eventually and childishly thinking he’s accomplishing something, as if he can leverage them by being annoying. His posts about us aren’t really about us at all, even though he does obviously want to come here. He’s absolutely antagonizing them because he feels they’ve started it by not already cutting him.

In the same way it can be fun when you’re young, but not really attractive, for a new girlfriend to use you to publicly make an ex jealous…this is not showing attractive qualities from Aiyuk. He doesn’t need to do any of this to end up with us, he wants to make waves and be talked about, wants to needle them.

The girlfriend/boyfriend analogy is a good one. The more it goes on the more it reeks of insecurity and having second thoughts as if to persuade themselves that they're right in what they're doing.

And everyone knows the more it happens the more the new relationship won't last, as it seems they want to go back to the old relationship. New person is clearly just a temporary rebound relationship.

If Aiyuk came here, he'd probably just reminisce about his 2023 season and want to go back when 2026 wherever he is doesn't work out like he expects.

It just smells like a catastrophe is cooking in 2026 no matter what happens.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Has he had much chance to show up? I thought the 49ers canceled their OTAs.

They canceled the mandatory minicamp.

But it doesn’t matter. He can show up any day he wants and say he wants to work out and head to the workout room.

They wouldn’t let him even get there. Because for all they know he might drop a dumbbell on his dumb foot and then they have to pay him.

They would send him home, have to take him off the DNR list. If they didn’t, the union would file a grievance which they would win.

So he would be sent home and probably released within days.

His dumb ass just had to do it. And not talk about it on social media first.

 

[RedWolf]

 

[skinsinparadise]

I agree with this: All Aiyuk is likely doing is making the SF more inclined to hold on to him for longer

 

[DWinzit]

Borderline tampering at this point? It's been there for months

If I were SF I'd hang on to the Mofo

 

[heisenberg]

I don’t think there's any such thing as player tampering.

They can be jack asses and he's certainly playing that card but players are free to talk about and whoever they want, its teams that cant talk to or about players under contract.

 

[burgold]

It will be a better day when we don't need to read about Brandon Aiyuk anymore. His head seems to be not in the game but about playing games. I prefer my pros to be professional. There's a time when it's fun to see Clinton Portis dress up like Elton John and a time when it's not.

Maybe he'll hit the ground running. It's hard to come back after a two year layoff. All these bits clowning the 49ers do nothing to instill confidence in me that he's ready to be the guy.

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

I agree with this: All Aiyuk is likely doing is making the SF more inclined to hold on to him for longer

I mean, that's Reason B. Reason A is that holding on to him for longer saves them money.

 

[bowhunter]

I mean, that's Reason B. Reason A is that holding on to him for longer saves them money.

I haven't heard that before, how does it save SF money??

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

I haven't heard that before, how does it save SF money??

I can't tell if you're joking or not (it's been all over this thread). But to explain in more detail...

He's on the DNR list. As long as he stays on that list, the 49ers can ignore him for eternity

Currently, since he disappeared back in November-ish:

• He takes up zero roster space
• He does not count against the salary cap
• The team does not pay him any cash

As soon as he shows up to the 49ers facility:

• He now takes up 1 roster spot
• He now counts against their salary cap
• The team has to start making cash payments to him, including a large bonus in September

If they release him or trade him, it costs them salary cap space. If Aiyuk continues to do nothing, and the 49ers also do nothing, they then save money in the form of salary cap.

 

[skinsinparadise]

 

[bowhunter]

I can't tell if you're joking or not (it's been all over this thread). But to explain in more detail...

He's on the DNR list. As long as he stays on that list, the 49ers can ignore him for eternity

Currently, since he disappeared back in November-ish:

• He takes up zero roster space
• He does not count against the salary cap
• The team does not pay him any cash

As soon as he shows up to the 49ers facility:

• He now takes up 1 roster spot
• He now counts against their salary cap
• The team has to start making cash payments to him, including a large bonus in September

If they release him or trade him, it costs them salary cap space. If Aiyuk continues to do nothing, and the 49ers also do nothing, they then save money in the form of salary cap.

I was serious, but was more inclined of thinking SF won't be due to pay him anything before Sept.1. Now im catching what you were implying

 

[KDawg]

Clown show.

 

[Ghost of Sarge]

If the GM and coach had put together a better receiver room, we wouldn't even be watching this crap

 

[KDawg]

If the GM and coach had put together a better receiver room, we wouldn't even be watching this crap

I still wouldn’t entertain it. I’ll take Van Jefferson over whatever this side show is.

 

[Discobob]

re: Aiyuk

I mean, this part of the year is boring... I'll give ya, it's weird, but is it really that big a deal? We got players choking people, beating up women, doing other illegal stuff... he's just clowning on SF. Again odd, but it's really not that big a deal and nothing else is really going on so we are over talking this...

 

[KDawg]

re: Aiyuk

I mean, this part of the year is boring... I'll give ya, it's weird, but is it really that big a deal? We got players choking people, beating up women, doing other illegal stuff... he's just clowning on SF. Again odd, but it's really not that big a deal and nothing else is really going on so we are over talking this...

It’s unstable behavior. Which is often viewed as a fairly big deal.

My thing is the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. I’d rather roll with what we have. It feels like at the very least we have professionals at the position. I respect that.