The San Francisco 49ers are reportedly aware of where wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will end up if they release him. Almost everyone is aware of his desire to join Jayden Daniels on the Washington Commanders, but they are not going to make things easy.
Aiyuk is still under contract and technically on the team, even if this relationship has descended into a bitter soap opera. The Niners are supposedly holding out for a trade offer to come along at some point, though respected insiders around the league aren't hearing too much about any willing suitors.
And one writer with close knowledge of the situation laid out precisely why.
Brandon Aiyuk's contract could lead him straight to the Commanders
Nick Wagoner of ESPN highlighted the bonuses in Aiyuk's contract that are enough to give teams cause to pause on any potential trade. It's an added wrinkle that has largely been overlooked amid the bitterness. But it won't be ignored by NFL teams.
After all, this is a business first and foremost.
"If the bonus gets exercised, the team employing [Brandon] Aiyuk would have to prorate it through 2030, effectively adding potentially significant dead money to their cap if Aiyuk doesn't produce. That bonus also isn't guaranteed after the Niners voided Aiyuk's remaining guarantees.
"But if that option bonus isn't exercised, an acquiring team would be on the hook for all of it at once, driving his salary for 2026 to more than $26 million. Combine that with base salaries that inflate to $27.274 million in 2027 and $29.15 million in 2028, and it's hard to envision any team wanting to pay Aiyuk that much."
The Commanders know this, too. They are biding their time, waiting for the Niners to eventually release him before making their move. That may not be for months, but there will come a time when all options have been exhausted, and general manager John Lynch is left with no other choice.
Taking on Aiyuk's contract would reek of desperation for anybody. He didn't play at all in 2025 after suffering a serious knee injury. The former Arizona State star is reportedly making good progress and wants to play, but there is just no telling if he can ever get back to the form that saw him go over 1,000 receiving yards in 2023.
If Aiyuk is available on a one-year, prove-it deal, there would likely be more interest in his services. But if he gets the chance to choose his next destination, that could very well be Washington.
The Commanders are reportedly warming to the idea after some conversations with Daniels, whose influence in this drawn-out affair has irked the powers in San Francisco. But as Wagoner stated, the contract, as it stands, is not worth taking on.
And that probably goes for everyone else, too.