In mid-February, it would be hard to say Brandon Aiyuk was happy. His San Francisco 49ers had just lost the Super Bowl. But it seemed, as the 49ers left Las Vegas as a Super Bowl runners-up, that everything was looking positive for the future.
Aiyuk went from being a very good receiver to a star in his fourth season, leading the 49ers in receiving yards. San Francisco was slated to bring practically every key player back for a run at a championship.
About six months later, Aiyuk and the 49ers seemed on the verge of parting for good.