The San Francisco 49ers star was stopped on February 12
The San Francisco 49ers‘ Brandon Aiyuk had a bizarre moment on February 12 when the star wide receiver was stopped by a police officer who thought his Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk was stolen, despite him owning the vehicle.
The 26-year-old, who has 27 career touchdowns, was stopped after driving at 53 miles per hour and filmed the interaction with the law enforcement representative, who claimed the car is frequently stolen
Aiyuk tried to explain the car is new and that he has enough money to not have to steal cars to get by, before eventually explaining he is actually an NFL star on a $120m four-year deal with the 49ers.
The officer tried to play it off by saying he doesn’t watch football, only for the receiver to brutally reply, “You don’t have to watch football. Nothing says I’m stealing cars.” Nonetheless, the policeman seemed to be on a power trip and said he’s going to look into the matter further.
Eventually Aiyuk, who is black, was cleared to go about his day. He was only two miles into the drive when he was stopped.
Aiyuk looks to bounce back
The 49ers ace looks to rebound in 2025/26 after suffering a tough 2024/25 NFL season, which ended early after he suffered MCL and ACL injuries in Week 7. At the time he had made 374 yards on 25 catches.
Generally, Kyle Shanahan‘s team struggled with injuries and especially in the absence of Christian McCaffrey.
The running back was largely out of commission throughout the year and allowed rival defenses to focus on the passing game. That caused the likes of Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel to struggle for form and consistency, and likewise with the team’s quarterback, Brock Purdy.
In his last full season in 2023/24, Aiyuk last made 1342 yards for seven touchdowns from 75 receptions through 16 appearances but was not named as an All-Pro and didn’t go to the Pro Bowl.