Brandon Aiyuk's desire to join the Washington Commanders was intriguing at one point. Then, it descended into fantasy and even ridicule, with the wide receiver seemingly unserious about actually returning to the league.
Now, the goalposts have moved. And it might not be much longer before fans finally find out what the Commanders think about Aiyuk.
The 2020 first-round pick recently hired Drew Rosenhaus and immediately began a comeback bid. Aiyuk applied for reinstatement, and he held conversations with the San Francisco 49ers' brass in a bid to get released at the earliest possible time.
Brandon Aiyuk is offiicially reinstated, and the Commanders now have a decision to make
And finally, after months of rumors, hearsay, and everything in between, the clock is officially ticking.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Aiyuk has passed his physical and has been formally reinstated by the NFL. The Niners have two weeks to either activate him or release him, and at least one NFC team has internally discussed signing the wideout to its practice squad.
"49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk passed his physical Monday and was officially reinstated. The next step is hoping for a release from San Francisco, and I’m told at least one NFC team has internally discussed the possibility of adding Aiyuk to its practice squad if and when that happens."
Given head coach Kyle Shanahan's clear disdain for Aiyuk, and the fact that he called the matter administrative, it's highly likely that the Arizona State product has played his final snap in San Francisco. And with no trade suitor likely coming forward before the deadline, releasing him is the only option.
They haven't done Aiyuk any favors. They aren't going to start now, so they will probably take the full two weeks before removing him from the equation, which is the pettiest way to handle things.
After that, Aiyuk will be free to sign wherever he wants.
And that will probably bring the Commanders under the microscope.
Commanders need Jayden Daniels to sign off on any Brandon Aiyuk move
They are desperate for receiver help. Aiyuk is a risky choice, but if he gets back to anything like his old self, he'd make a significant difference.
Unfortunately, there is much more than just on-field production to consider.
Aiyuk's social media beef with quarterback Jayden Daniels reportedly had some weight to it. The wideout took shots at his old college teammate and his mother during a series of ill-advised rants on Instagram. That saw the signal-caller give him the cold shoulder when he could have helped, which is completely understandable in the circumstances.
Whether time has healed these wounds remains to be seen. But if Daniels isn't on board, the Commanders cannot bring Aiyuk into the building.
If he is willing to give it a shot, that changes the complexion completely.
However, anyone expecting Aiyuk to step in and immediately contribute in this scenario is setting themselves up for a fall.
It's been two years since Aiyuk played an NFL snap. He may have passed his physicals for reinstatement, but that doesn't mean much. He'll have to get in legitimate football shape, and that could take months. So anyone acquiring him should treat his arrival as an assessment period to see what he could potentially bring long term.
The Commanders might want to throw someone into the fire quickly. Aiyuk isn't lacking in self-confidence, but this might be a step too far for the player.
Time will tell, and Aiyuk's possible release could see more teams enter the mix. But given how desperate he was to join the Commanders this summer, that might still be his preferred option.
Whether he'll get it is another matter.
But after weeks and months of speculation, there isn't much longer to wait for this saga to conclude one way or another.
We can all be thankful for that.
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