Steelers Now
Two summers after nearly being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brandon Aiyuk badly wants to join the Washington Commanders. The San Francisco 49ers receiver, who’s become estranged from his team, took to Instagram once again on Wednesday, saying in a video that he’d sign with the Commanders “tomorrow” if the Niners cut ties with him.
Aiyuk’s recent antics have earned him an unflattering comparison, as former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho likened him to a former Steelers superstar on Wednesday’s edition of “Speakeasy.”
“Brandon Aiyuk is on an early Antonio Brown trajectory without the Antonio Brown talent — and that is my fear,” Acho said. “Antonio Brown had six seasons consecutive like we’ve never seen in the National Football League before, and I’ll remind you all — it wasn’t all of a sudden, it was subtle. What ended up as a flood started out as a puddle. Antonio Brown did not start on Instagram crashing out, no. Antonio Brown just started running around saying ‘free me,’ calling his grandma — if I’m not mistaken — on Instagram live, cussing out general managers. That’s how it started.
“Just go to his Instagram, which I’ve blocked, to see how it’s ended. … Now, just because (Aiyuk) is on the trajectory does not mean he will land there. It just means that’s currently the destination that his airplane is on. Hopefully we can reroute it.”
Brown, who now spends a good part of his days on TikTok live, once had a strong argument for being the league’s best wideout. He registered more receptions (686) and receiving yards (9,145) from 2013-18 than anyone had over a six-season stretch in NFL history — the yardage mark was soon surpassed by Julio Jones. After demanding to be traded in 2019, Brown’s career took a handful of twists and turns and eventually ended unceremoniously when he stripped off his shoulder pads, helmet, Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey and shirt and left a game early in 2022.
The Steelers tried dealing for Aiyuk in 2024, but he wound up signing a four-year, $120 million extension with the 49ers. He’s played all of seven games since receiving the payday, pulling in 25 passes for 374 yards and no touchdowns.
Aiyuk didn’t play at all last season after suffering a knee injury in 2024. San Francisco voided the remaining guarantees in his contract because he skipped rehab sessions for the ailment, then placed him on the reserve/left team list in December when he stopped showing up to its team facility.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Former NFL LB Identifies Next Antonio Brown: ‘Currently the Destination That His Airplane Is On’
