Report: Brandon Aiyuk wanted on warrant out of Northern California for YouTube video

A warrant out of Northern California has reportedly been issued for the arrest of San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk, according to the New York Post, which cited the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. The warrant is related to a misdemeanor charge of “exhibition of speed” after Aiyuk posted a viral video to his social media in December that showed him driving at speeds in excess of 100 mph around Levi’s Stadium, per the Post.

The video was recorded from inside Aiyuk’s Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and showed him joyriding around Santa Clara at speeds over 100 mph, even hitting 104 mph as he drove by Levi’s Stadium. Aiyuk later apologized for his reckless behavior, and promised his “car content won’t come with speeding anymore!”

Despite that public apology, the viral video resulted in an investigation from the Santa Clara Police Department, which was ultimately forwarded to the district attorney’s office on Jan. 15, according to the Post. The entire incident has created a rift between Aiyuk and the 49ers organization, with San Francisco general manager John Lynch even telling reporters “it’s safe to say (Aiyuk has) played his last snap as a 49er” in January, per the Post.

Aiyuk has been with the 49ers since the franchise drafted him with the 25th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Arizona State, and signed him to a four-year, $120 million extension prior to the 2024 season. But Aiyuk suffered a season-ending knee injury seven games into the 2024 season and hasn’t played since, forcing San Francisco to make some difficult decisions.

In April, prior to the NFL Draft, ESPN’s Adam Schefter suggested Aiyuk trade market has soured because teams have struggled to contact him, including the 49ers themselves.

“We know he’s not going to be back in San Francisco, we know the team is ready to move on from him, and they’ve advertised — including this weekend — at every turn that they’d trade him for whatever they could get back for him,” Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show. “And I think the reason that a team’s not trading for him right now is they don’t want to assume the current contract that he has. So it’s a situation where he hasn’t been in clear, constant communication with the 49ers, they’ve had a hard time getting ahold of him. Other teams have attempted to reach out and they’ve had a hard time getting ahold of him.”