The 49ers placed Brandon Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list on Dec. 13, ending his 2025 season. Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk issued an apology after posting a video in which he appears to be driving over 100 mph, the latest in a string of headlines for Aiyuk amid his ongoing dispute with the team.
In a video posted Sunday to his YouTube channel, Aiyuk speeds down a California freeway with the speedometer hitting up to 111 mph. At one point in the video, Aiyuk drives past Levi’s Stadium, where the 49ers play home games and where their team operations and training facility are located.
Aiyuk posted the apology to his YouTube channel on Wednesday: “Sorry yall, my car content won’t come with speeding anymore! Was Praying with my son tonight and wouldn’t want anybody else to miss out on an opportunity to do the same with their loved ones! My apologies.”
Aiyuk has not played since suffering a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 20, 2024. There had been thoughts that he would return this season, but those hopes ended when the team placed him on the reserve/left squad list on Dec. 13, ending his 2025 season and likely severing the team’s ties with the wide receiver for the future.
Neither Aiyuk nor the team has explained why the sides had a falling out. Last month, The Athletic reported that sources briefed on the situation said the receiver failed to attend meetings and declined to participate in other team activities. The team then voided the guaranteed money in Aiyuk’s contract for 2026, and sources said that Aiyuk told NFL Players Association representatives that he did not want to fight the move via an official grievance. Thus, he would be officially released after the season.
Aiyuk was one of the big reasons the 49ers were able to reach the NFC Championship game three straight years and the Super Bowl in the 2023 season. He caught 209 passes for 3,183 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
In 2024, negotiations for a new contract dragged on for months before the two sides came to an agreement on terms.