The San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk have reached a breaking point, and it’s hard to envision him playing another down for Kyle Shanahan’s team.
However, he’s still young, and if he’s back to full strength, he could be an impactful playmaker for any team in need of help in the passing game. That’s why former 49ers WR Stevie Johnson urged him to surround himself with the right people. Otherwise, these ghosts will continue to haunt him in his next stops.
“He’s got the talent to play the game, but it’s the decision-making. Sometimes we be trippin’ as players. We’re getting paid. We know we’re getting a check every week and we’re on TV. We feel like we’re everything, and anything we think should work. But that’s not really true. You need to have that mentor. I don’t think he had the strength in his circle to help him with certain decisions. My advice would be to find the right people around you,” Johnson told Casino.org’s Kyle Odegard.
Johnson believes Aiyuk must keep a small circle to focus on what actually matters. The talent is there, so he now needs to prove that he’s serious about getting his career back on track:
“Keep the friends you’ve got, because it’s hard to say, ‘I’m done with y’all,’ but I would direct my friendship group during the season to be very intentional. Have your trainer, your chef, your body therapist, your barber. If you’ve got kids, have them around, but make it intentional for those eight months. That’s where you start,” added Johnson.
The Niners are in no rush to let Aiyuk go. He’s burned all bridges with the front office and the coaching staff, and they don’t want to do him any favors by releasing him and making him a free agent.
The NFL Draft class is also deep at wide receiver, and that may not help his case. Teams will obviously rather have a rookie on a cost-controlled deal than give up valuable assets for a player coming off a major injury and with some character issues.
Even so, he’s just 26 years old, and he should still have his prime years ahead of him. He’s a former second-team All-Pro guy with two 1,000-yard seasons under his belt, and someone will ultimately give him a chance to prove himself again.
In the meantime, he has to do what’s best for him.