When it comes to Brandon Aiyuk’s slowly-growing collection of ill-advised social media videos, some feel comfortable jumping to conclusions about his mental health. I’ve got a far more pragmatic question.
Who’s advising him?
Per NFL Players Association records, Aiyuk continues to be represented by Ryan Williams of Athletes First. Aiyuk’s online antics (most recently, he posted a video in which he wears a Commanders hat and say’s he’ll be “back on tour this fall,” before directing viewers to go to “www.Commanders.com to get your tickets and watch us rock out”) are creating a bad impression.
Either Aiyuk is doing this on the advice of his agent, or he’s acting against his agent’s advice. If it’s the latter, at what point does the agent fire the player?
In 2020, agent Drew Rosenhaus severed ties with receiver Antonio Brown at a time when Brown had been acting erratically and irrationally. Shouldn’t Williams do the same with Aiyuk, if Williams has been telling Aiyuk to knock it off with the videos and he keeps doing it?
It’s possible, in theory, that Aiyuk is implementing a deliberate strategy aimed at getting himself released by the 49ers, so that he can sign elsewhere. Even so, there’s no subtlety whatsoever regarding his desire to play for the Commanders. Which surely makes the Commanders uncomfortable.
If Aiyuk is simply going rogue on a regular basis, why wouldn’t Williams cut him loose? It would be frustrating to continue to tell a client to not do something that he continues to do.
For now, Aiyuk continues to make it clear that he wants to join the Commanders. Even if no one knows that the Commanders even want him.
