With the San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk having yet to reach terms on a contract extension, all indications are that the team will now look to trade its All-Pro wide receiver.
In fact, one of the 49ers’ biggest stars appears to be under the impression he’s played his final game with Aiyuk, as evidenced by comments running back Christian McCaffrey made during an interview with the NFL Network on Tuesday.
“For me, I don’t deal with it. That’s not a part of my job, it’s not a part of my position,” McCaffrey answered when asked how he’s handling the recent trade speculation regarding Aiyuk. “Obviously as a former teammate — or teammate of his in general — any teammate that you have, you love, you love respect them, you want the best for them. As far as the business side of this game goes, it’s always difficult.
“So I stay out of it completely. That’s way above my paygrade. I just try to focus on what I can do every single day. But obviously we always wish the best for any of our teammates whether they’re here or not. Obviously we hope he’s here, but it’s a tough part of the business.”
In case you didn’t see it…
Christian McCaffrey just (seemingly accidentally) called Brandon Aiyuk a “former” teammate… pic.twitter.com/uzmGztt4hm
— Max Loeb (@loebsleads) August 6, 2024
While it’s always possible McCaffrey merely misspoke, it seems more likely that him referring to Aiyuk as his “former” teammate was a Freudian slip. As for the latest news regarding a potential trade, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday that the 49ers have reengaged in negotiations with the Pittsburgh Steelers after previously being linked to potential deals with the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.