Brandon Aiyuk is back in the news, and once again, it’s for all the wrong reasons. The former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver posted another Instagram video, this time saying “Go Commanders,” adding yet another chapter to a saga that has spiraled well beyond football. For a player who once looked like one of the best receivers in the NFL, Aiyuk’s off-field behavior continues to overshadow anything he ever did on the field, and San Francisco has to be completely fed up at this point.

There was a time when Aiyuk was walking dynamite. Over 1,000 receiving yards, more than 70 receptions, leading the league in yards per reception. The 49ers saw enough to give him a multi-year contract extension, paying him like the elite talent he appeared to be. The truth is, San Francisco’s return on that investment has been negative. Not break-even, not disappointing. Negative.

The off-field explosions keep coming

The Instagram video is just the latest in a pattern of behavior that has made Aiyuk nearly impossible to defend. This is the same player who was arrested for speeding and then posted himself on a racetrack going fast just hours later. I’m not exactly sure what’s going on between the ears for Aiyuk at this point, but nothing he’s done over the past two years suggests he’s operating with any sort of self-awareness.

I understand why John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan don’t want to simply release him. They don’t want Aiyuk walking into free agency, joining the Commanders, and getting exactly what he wants after the way he handled his exit from San Francisco. He was the one who didn’t show up to rehab. He was the one who said he no longer wanted to be part of the team. The 49ers voided his contract and won’t owe him everything, but they still lost a significant asset for nothing.

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Could the Commanders actually want him?

Should Washington be interested in Aiyuk? That’s a completely different discussion, and in my opinion, the answer is probably no. You’re talking about a player coming off a devastating knee injury who has shown zero signs of the focus or maturity required to rehab and return to form. On top of that, Aiyuk doesn’t look, act, or sound anything like the player he once was.

Could the Commanders take a flier on a one-year prove-it deal at the veteran minimum? Sure. Maybe Aiyuk still works out, still has talent in the tank. But the antics and the optics of this entire situation continue to look terrible for everyone involved.

San Francisco needs to rip the bandage off

The bottom line is this: the 49ers have Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall is on the come-up, and at some point, holding onto the ghost of what Aiyuk could have been stops being smart asset management and starts being a distraction. San Francisco gave him the contract, bet on the talent, and lost.

The 49ers need to say their goodbyes and move on. Dragging this out any further only invites more Instagram videos, more headlines, and more frustration for a franchise that should be focused on winning football games.