The Brandon Aiyuk situation in San Francisco keeps getting messier. And now a former general manager who has worked for both the 49ers and the Washington franchise is weighing in with a blunt warning.
Scot McCloughan, who drafted Aiyuk’s potential in a different era, went on The Kevin Sheehan Show this week and didn’t hold back. He told the Commanders to be careful — not about Aiyuk’s talent, but about everything else.
“When they drafted him, I said he is a No. 1 receiver talent wise, but you be very very careful with the character,” McCloughan said.
He went back to Aiyuk’s college days at Arizona State to make his point. According to McCloughan, then-coach Herm Edwards described the receiver as a wildcard. Someone who might not show up some days. Other days he might have the best practice of his career. You just never knew which version you were getting.
McCloughan didn’t stop there. He said what Aiyuk has done to the 49ers this offseason is “embarrassing.” Then he aimed a warning straight at Washington.
“What you’re getting in your building is going to be the same thing. There will be good days, but there’s gonna be bad days,” McCloughan said.
Social media campaign or cry for help?
Aiyuk has spent the last few weeks posting on Instagram like a guy who has already packed his bags. He shared a video of himself dancing earlier this week, which most people read as him signaling he’s headed to Washington. Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was his teammate at Arizona State, and that connection seems to be driving Aiyuk’s desire to leave San Francisco.
The 49ers have not traded him yet. But the standoff is real. Aiyuk has posted multiple times asking the team to move on from him, and the tension has been one of the defining storylines of the NFC offseason.
Critics are piling on
It’s not just former executives throwing shade. Aiyuk’s social media strategy has drawn criticism from former NFL players too, including ex-Steelers Joe Haden and James Harrison. Neither seemed impressed with the way Aiyuk is handling his business.
The question now is whether Washington actually wants to deal with the package that comes with Aiyuk’s talent. McCloughan made it sound like the Commanders should know exactly what they’re signing up for. Good days and bad days. Great catches and potential headaches.
For a team trying to build something new around a rookie quarterback, that’s a gamble they might still be willing to take. But McCloughan’s warning suggests they shouldn’t pretend they didn’t see it coming.
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