Brandon Aiyuk 's social media activity and ongoing drama with the San Francisco 49ers have become a major talking point around the NFL. He dropped a bizarre video, in which he called the 49ers, "stupid a** mad" while attempting to explain his side of the story.
However, his actions didn't convince many people in the league. But five-time Pro Bowler Jarvis Landry believes the situation goes much deeper.
During a recent segment on the "4th and South" podcast, Landry, a former wide receiver who had three Pro Bowl selections with the Miami Dolphins and two with the Cleveland Browns , expressed concern for Aiyuk's well-being, saying the 49ers star is no longer the same player or person he remembers from a few years ago.
"Man, somebody needs to get that phone from him," Landry said.
"Where I see him at today, based on where I saw him two years ago, it's not the same Brandon that I know," he added. "It's not the same player, not the same man that I respected for how he played the game."
Landry also questioned how Aiyuk's recent social media activity could be perceived by teams around the league, echoing a sentiment shared by 3-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth, who called Aiyuk "stupid" and said he didn't want "that turd" on his team.
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"Some people say any publicity is good publicity, but I feel like, as an organization, if I'm even considering bringing a guy like Brandon Aiyuk in, and I see the type of posts that he's been posting, I don't really know if he really even wants to play football like that," Landry said.
"I don't really know if I want to bring someone like that into my organization," Landry added. "You're a veteran in the league at this point. You're a leader when you walk into a locker room."
Despite the criticism, Landry's message ultimately came across as one of concern rather than condemnation. Landry urged Aiyuk's teammates, former teammates, and friends to reach out to him, questioning whether the veteran receiver still has the same passion for football.
"I don't know who's around him," Landry said. "Teammates, former teammates, call this guy and Brandon, if you're watching this show, please DM me, bro."
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Aiyuk's current situation is the culmination of a fallout that has been brewing for nearly two years. He was a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft before truly breaking out two years later after posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023. According to PFSN's WR Impact Metric , in 2023, he was the fourth-highest-ranked wideout in the league with an impact score of 92.7.
The relationship between Aiyuk and the 49ers has only become more complicated over the past year. After signing a four-year, $120 million extension ahead of the 2024 season, the star receiver suffered a season-ending injury and hasn't played since then.
Since then, San Francisco has voided Aiyuk's 2026 contract guarantees due to failure to meet contract requirements regarding his recovery process and placed him on the reserve/left squad list.
The 49ers haven't released him and are exploring potential trades. However, as of now, no team is willing to send draft assets to acquire the wide receiver. Aiyuk's future in San Francisco is uncertain, making Landry's public concern all the more noteworthy.
