Every member of the 49ers takes training camp seriously, but perhaps none more so than Brandon Aiyuk.
The wide receiver made headlines last summer after an on-field skirmish with linebacker Fred Warner, and now Aiyuk is letting the 49ers' defense know he's coming back into camp this year with a fire again.
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Aiyuk posted his warning to San Francisco's white jerseys -- what the defense wears in camp -- on his Instagram story, sparking a hilarious response from second-year defensive end Drake Jackson.
But the competition goes both ways, as cornerback Deommodore Lenoir showed on his story with his own message to the 49ers' offense, or "red jerseys."
In training camp last year, Aiyuk and Warner got into it twice in one day during practice, with the second scuffle resulting in a team scrum that had to be broken up and required coach Kyle Shanahan to momentarily pause the drill.
"Itās the middle of camp,ā Aiyuk explained last summer. "Everybody is a competitor out there. Iām tired of seeing [the defense]. I like playing with them, because for some reason, we talk about it all the time, we got into an argument about how if offense played the defense we would beat the brakes off of them. ...
San Francisco 49ers
"Thatās just how we play. You turn on the tape and you watch the Niners, nobody is backing down to anyone, so I feel like when we go against each other and people butt heads, thatās what happens. Iām not backing down, [Warner's] not backing down either."
Of course, while things can boil over from time to time, it's friendly competition between teammates at the end of the day. Back in the locker room, it's all love. Plus, Aiyuk's ferocity in camp last year led to the first 1,000-yard season of his career in 2022.
And with so much talent on both sides of the ball, it's clear the 49ers are able to bring out the best in each other during practice. As veterans report to camp in Santa Clara on Tuesday, there's sure to be more excitement in the coming weeks.