In recent days, 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk has been posting complaints about his current team and his now-former agent.
On Sunday, Aiyuk targeted the NFL Players Association.
In a post appearing on his Instagram story, Aiyuk said this: “When members of the union that is in place to help players is lying/withholding information from a player on behalf of the team alongside a certified agent.. That’s some straight BS!!! Some players have no other place to go for information or help, and are relying on the union to help them continue advancing in their careers and lives! I’m sure there are great members of the union, so this message does not pertain to them but about the ones in my specific case.”
Aiyuk seems to be confusing union membership with union leadership. That said, he hasn’t made a specific complaint regarding anything the union has done, or failed to do, as to his current situation.
When the 49ers voided Aiyuk’s contractual guarantees, he reportedly decided not to fight it. If he had decided to do so, the NFLPA would have taken up the cause.
And if Aiyuk is suggesting that the NFLPA has been working with the 49ers to in some way impact his rights in a negative way, that’s just ridiculous. The NFL Players Association doesn’t operate that way. It’s there to represent the interests of all players. The suggestion that the NFLPA would be working with a team to hurt a player is very hard to take seriously.
For now, the message to Aiyuk — from the NFLPA, an agent, or anyone — is simple: File with the NFL a petition for reinstatement from the reserve/left squad list. It’s not just his best move. It’s his only move.
And it’s the one way to move the 49ers to release him.
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