George Kittle on another team acquiring Brandon Aiyuk: Have fun with all that comes with it

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Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk continued to push for the 49ers to part ways with him by posting a video to social media recently that shows him shouting "Go Commanders!" Washington is believed to be Aiyuk's preferred destination when and if the 49ers release or trade him and he's posted other videos critical of the 49ers during his prolonged effort to move on to another club. The 49ers have not budged, however, and Aiyuk's status could remain in limbo for some time unless he reports to training camp in a bid to fully force the 49ers' hand. During a Monday appearance on Pardon My Take, 49ers tight end George Kittle was asked what the Commanders should expect to get from Aiyuk, who has not played in a game since suffering a serious knee injury during the 2024 season. Kittle's answer spoke to Aiyuk's talent while also hinting at the difficulties that mitigate what he brings to a team on the field. "The last time I saw Aiyuk was, call it Week 6, 7, or 8. I don't really know," Kittle said. "I used to make it a habit of mine to go out early in the morning before meetings to watch him train because he'd always be out there early, and I watched him run over 22 miles an hour and stop on a dime. So, he's still got it, or at least that was a year, eight months ago, so I don't really know. But you guys have fun with that, I guess . . . You have fun with all that comes with it." In response to a comment about Aiyuk potentially being happier once he's off the 49ers, Kittle quipped that he "wouldn't be happy either after a team paid me $130 million" in reference to the extension Aiyuk signed before the 2024 season. That deal led the 49ers to scrap plans to trade Aiyuk and they'd probably like a full mulligan on that sequence of events.