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The San Francisco 49ers will begin the 2026 season without wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
The 28-year-old has likely played his final snap for the 49ers after months of publicly criticizing the team in wild social media rants. Aiyuk is on the Left Squad List, which means he remains on the team but doesn’t count against roster space or receive pay.
Former All-Pro wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. appeared to take an unintentional shot at Aiyuk on “The 89 Show” while discussing the rise of 49ers rookie De’Zhaun Stribling with co-host James Palmer.
“He is what they were hoping Brandon Aiyuk can be, but he has a little bit more mental bandwidth,” Smith said of Stribling.
Steve Smith on De'Zhaun Stribling:
“He is what they were hoping Brandon Aiyuk can be, but he has a little bit more mental bandwidth.”
Smith explains why Stribling will feast on opposing defenses starting this season and why he will eventually become the 49ers best rout runner pic.twitter.com/2ru4bhaZ1K
“[Stribling] was at Ole Miss with Lane Kiffin, right? Lane Kiffin can get on your damn nerves. He can wear you out. What do you and I know about Kyle Shanahan and Brandon Aiyuk early in his career? He was in the doghouse because Kyle was constantly on his butt.
“I think with Stribling getting drafted, Kyle sees this as the future wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers that they can rely on.”
Aiyuk’s erratic behavior has propelled public concern for his overall well-being and mental state in recent months. Smith’s comments didn’t appear to be a direct shot of Aiyuk’s mental struggles, but the situation has only gotten uglier in recent months.
While the 49ers have evidently moved on with their wide receiver corps, there are still no answers into how Aiyuk’s career will unfold.
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