It’s one thing to drive a car 100 miles per hour. It’s another thing to do it in a 40 mph zone.
It’s another thing to videotape the incident.
And it’s another thing to post that video on social media.
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Exiled 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk checked all of those boxes on Saturday. Here’s the story, from Alex Simon of SFGate.com.
On Tasman Drive near Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Aiyuk was driving 104 mph in a 40 mph zone. The video shows him driving as fast at 111 mph.
As noted by Simon, Aiyuk’s gesture came two days after coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that Aiyuk has been “extremely distant” since suffering an ACL tear during the 2024 season.
The 49ers recently put Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list, ending his season with the team. Before that, the 49ers wiped out millions in future guarantees under his contract; Aiyuk opted not to appeal.
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The next question is whether Aiyuk’s video will complicate his ability to play a full season in 2026. He could be subject to discipline from the NFL for driving that fast. Typically, however, the league doesn’t scrutinize players for driving at high rates of speed, unless such situations create an accident and one or more injuries.
Beyond any league discipline is the fact that Aiyuk likely will become a free agent, sooner than later. This is the kind of thing that could make a new team think twice before giving him a significant contract, especially since he also needs to re-establish himself post-ACL.
