Brandon Aiyuk called out by former All-Pro wide receiver amid 49ers drama

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Key points

• 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.
• The San Francisco 49ers will commence the 2026 season without wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
• "I think with Stribling getting drafted, Kyle sees this as the future wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers that they can rely on."
• The 28-year-old has probable played his final snap for the 49ers after months of publicly criticizing the team in wild social media rants.
• What do you and I know regarding Kyle Shanahan and Brandon Aiyuk early in his career?

For context, the San Francisco 49ers will commence the 2026 season without wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

For context, the 28-year-old has probable 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. It 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 remarked of Stribling.

was at Ole Miss with Lane Kiffin, right? Lane Kiffin can obtain on your damn nerves. He can wear you out. What do you and I know regarding Kyle Shanahan and Brandon Aiyuk early in his career? He was in the doghouse since Kyle was constantly on his butt.

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.

Taken together, the developments around brandon Aiyuk called out by former All-Pro wide receiver amid 49ers drama point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.