Brandon Aiyuk is burning every bridge around him

Brandon Aiyuk is rewriting the James Harden playbook on how to get traded from a team you don't want to play for.

The original was better.

While Harden, like Aiyuk, used public discontentment as a tool in forcing his way out of situations that no longer served him, he usually operated from a place of leverage. That's not the case with Aiyuk, whose unending stream of social media posts are only making him more untouchable -- and burning the only bridges that can help him.

Case in point: he wants to be traded to the Washington Commanders, to play with his college quarterback Jayden Daniels. Which seemed like a viable option at the start of this saga. But his social media activity has now apparently turned off Daniels, who Aiyuk said won't even answer his calls.

Wait, you mean to tell me Daniels won't answer the calls of a person who insulted him? Color me shocked.

At this point, it's hard to see the end game for Aiyuk, who said he won't be applying for reinstatement with the San Francisco 49ers. Which is his only path back into the NFL and potentially another team -- if the 49ers choose to trade or release him, which seems likely after they already voided the guarantees in his contract.

However, Aiyuk has tanked his trade value with the way he's acted, and he might've even tanked his overall value, with ESPN's Jeremy Fowler saying he might have to sign for the vet minimum if he gets cut. That would be the best case scenario after Aiyuk said he won't stop making videos even after this is resolved. Because unlike the NBA, where stars hold all the power, the NFL doesn't usually make room for players whose distractions outweigh their production.

"He's lighting money on fire, is what he's doing, every time he puts an Instagram video out," Fowler said.

Money isn't the only thing he's lighting on fire.

Landon Donovan had more to say about Christian Pulisic

Everyone has a lot to say about Christian Pulisic right now. But even the person who can relate most to the pressure on Pulisic as the USMNT's biggest star is having a hard time defending him.

HE SPEAKS: Pulisic breaks silence after World Cup exit

Landon Donovan gave a more gentle critique of Pulisic in his first reaction to the USMNT's loss to Belgium. But on the latest episode of his podcast with Tim Howard, Donovan didn't just go at Pulisic, he had a lot to say about the people around him.

Gallery of the Day

Quick hits: Fox is mad ... Kelsey on Sophie ... and more

• Fox is reportedly unhappy English speakers are apparently watching Telemundo for their World Cup fix.
• World Cup darling Erling Haaland is just as excited as the rest of us for Grand Theft Auto 6.
• Kelsey Mitchell had the perfect two-word description of her Indiana Fever teammate Sophie Cunningham.
• LeBron James is doing the NBA one last solid on his way out by injecting life into free agency.

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This article originally appeared on For The Win: Brandon Aiyuk is burning every bridge around him