BillsFanForever19

Bernard is playing at a replaceable level. Especially being dinged up before this. Him being out isn't a huge loss. However, the drop off between Spencer Brown and RVD is MASSIVE. Brown is one of the best Right Tackle's in the entire NFL, if not THE best.

And? People act like his guaranteed salary being voided makes him poor and it's irresponsible to do some shopping. He was a 1st Round Pick. From 2020-2024, he made 12.5 million dollars. And that doesn't take into account any side money through advertising, personal appearances, signings, jersey sales, his own merchandise, etc. When he's released or traded, he'll make even more millions. That's a guarantee. Spending big money on jewelry is something most players do. Hell, Keon Coleman had some crazy bling he was showing off Post Game in Week 1 and he's nowhere near the position to do that as Aiyuk is. This is nothing and would in no way make me think "character concerns - we shouldn't sign him". If we didn't Draft or sign players bc they splurge on jewelry - we wouldn't be able to field a team.

He was looking like a "playmaking stud"... in 2023. 2024 he took a step back from what we saw the year before. He wasn't flashing nearly as much as the year before, started showing a penchant for getting dinged up, and was way more often than not out of position. Bc of that, us having to make tough choices or eat into our salary cap heavily with so many players up for extensions (which we chose to do) and with MLB not being a hard to replace, premium position - I would not have extended him. At the absolute most, i'd have waited to see how his 2025 went and think about extending him if it went well. It was baffling to me when they extended him early and enraging to me after seeing how bad he looks this year.

We *hope* he has 16 years on him. But that's not a guarantee. Especially with the style of play he has. As far as similar type running QB's that take punishment go, Roethlisberger made it 16 seasons. But he was pretty much toast after 14. Cam became toast after 9. Russ also became toast after 9. Obviously, Josh is a better QB than both of them and speed (and losing speed) was more of a factor with them than it is with Josh.

That's actually a good question. He has an abdominal issue and lingering concussion symptoms (which was the official designation for his IR). I have to imagine it was a Tyler Bass type issue where he's probably good to go, we just didn't need him with RVD and Lundt behind Dawkins and Brown. But maybe now they consider returning him from IR now.

That tends to happen when you aren't getting open. Every pass play has options.

You mean to say that comparing a player to a Hall of Famer for going 4/90/1TD in a single game, after 9 games of providing absolutely nothing before that was to be getting just a *smidge* carried away?

That only applies to before the Trade Deadline. Following the Trade Deadline, all players regardless of their status as a vested veteran are subject to waivers. That said, it remains to be seen if he is waived. ProFootballTalk seems to think that they won't move him until the off-season and may potentially trade him.

It doesn't look like he will be available until after the season anyways. https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/report-49ers-void-wr-brandon-aiyuks-26-15-million-in-guarantees-for-2026

It's a TERRIBLE optic. I can already see the media torching them for benching Coleman for missing meetings and rewarding Aiyuk for it. However, we're in a position where I'd just take the abuse. A bigger issue to me than the media torching would be the message it would send the locker room. And that's why I don't see it happening. Even if I'd do it. Which honestly makes what Coleman did even more infuriating. Without him doing what he did and us punishing him for it, such a thing wouldn't be an issue.

I mean, I didn't say it's impossible no one claims him. Just unlikely. When players with massive contracts are released, 9 times out of 10 teams pass and then try to court them as a Free Agent, where they can get a deal done for a lesser amount structured the way they want. It is possible someone wants him so badly they don't risk not being the winner in the FA sweepstakes. But given the size of that contract, him coming off a major injury, and being released for issues - I don't see teams lining up to take that deal. I was getting killed for saying I'd avoid giving up this years 1st if at all possible before the deadline. I just didn't see this team being one player away (even a WR1 like Olave or Waddle) from winning a Championship. They would have just made us slightly more competitive. There's just *too* many flaws with this roster and coaching staff. With our luck of late, the player would go down (especially with Olave's injury history), we'd do what we're doing now, and go into next season without a pick that's almost assuredly going to be world's better than we've had since 2019. Picking somewhere between 12-18 is a very real scenario.

No. Teams agree to take on the players current contract as written if they claim a player on waivers.

He would be. However, any team that claims him would be on the hook for his contract as written. I don't think anyone's going to take on that contract. So he'll likely go unclaimed. However, after publicly dealing with and inactivating a player for missing meetings - bringing in a WR released for missing meetings would take some not caring about the optics or not caring about why he was released. I would do it. But I'm not sure this regime would.

Terrel Bernard wouldn't stress me too much. With the way he's played this season, I don't imagine the fall off between him and the next guy up will be all that great. Spencer Brown though is a gut wrencher. He may be our best Offensive Lineman and one of the best Right Tackle's in Football. Pretty clear that IR or not, we're going to be without either for some time. Hopefully Brown isn't down for the year. That would be a killer.