Richard Sherman isn’t buying what some fans are trying to sell. The former San Francisco 49ers cornerback came down hard on Brandon Aiyuk this week, making clear that he thinks the star wide receiver owns this mess. Not the team.
Speaking on his podcast, Sherman didn’t mince words when asked if the 49ers did something wrong to push Aiyuk toward demanding a trade and trying to force his way to the Washington Commanders. Sherman’s answer was basically: come on.
“They didn’t (disrespect him),” Sherman said. “They paid him $30 million to catch the football. They paid him $30 million to show up and play receiver for the San Francisco 49ers. Not be owned, not be anything. Good and services. You get paid for your services. You have to provide the services. You don’t get to get paid and say ‘I’m not gonna play receiver, I’m gonna do whatever I want.’”
Aiyuk’s situation has dragged on for months. He’s been the subject of trade rumors and cryptic social media posts that make it clear he wants out. But it’s not that simple. Because there’s also the injury part. Aiyuk blew out his knee during the 2024 season and missed all of 2025. And here’s where it gets messy. The 49ers kept putting out hints that he might return last season. He never did. Not once.
According to Sherman, Aiyuk also refused to rehab with the 49ers. He’s allowed to do that. Players can choose their own doctors and their own rehab facilities. But here’s the catch: when you do that and you don’t let the team evaluate you, those contract guarantees can disappear. And they did. Because you can’t just take $30 million and ghost your employer for months while they have no idea if you’re even healthy enough to play.
That’s the part Sherman keeps circling back to. The money. The expectation. The basic exchange of labor for payment. He doesn’t see it as complicated.
The trade market is basically dead
Aiyuk has made it known that he wants to go to Washington. And by made it known, I mean made it impossible for anyone else to seriously bid on him. That kind of kills the leverage for the 49ers and it also kills the trade value. Why would another team offer significant compensation for a guy who has publicly said he only wants to play for one team? Especially when that guy is coming off a serious knee injury and hasn’t played a snap in over a year.
The Commanders are interested. That’s not a secret. But the 49ers are not just going to hand over a former first-round pick who was productive before the injury. Not for nothing. So you have this standoff where Aiyuk is stuck and the 49ers don’t seem to be in a rush to solve it. They’ll wait. They can afford to wait.
Red flags everywhere you look
Aiyuk hasn’t been with the team. He’s not rehabbing with team doctors. His contract guarantees are voided. And on top of all that, he has publicly forced a specific trade destination while acting like the organization owes him something. Sherman sees it how a lot of players probably see it. You get paid a ton of money. You show up. You work. That part isn’t optional.
Where Aiyuk ends up is still an open question. The Commanders are the most likely landing spot if a trade happens. But nothing is imminent. And the longer this drags, the more it looks like Aiyuk backed himself into a corner he can’t easily get out of.
Leave a Comment