It seems as if the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk are heading for an inevitable divorce this offseason. Judging by how fractured this relationship became, finding a trade partner would be difficult. And if he gets the chance to pick his destination, the Washington Commanders might be high on his list of priorities.
Aiyuk and quarterback Jayden Daniels already have a close bond. The Commanders need help at the receiver position with only Terry McLaurin, Jaylin Lane, and Luke McCaffrey under contract. The pieces come together by themselves, but whether it's something that general manager Adam Peters considers is another matter.
It seems logical. The eventual reality could be different, but until something gets confirmed one way or another, speculation linking Aiyuk with the Commanders is only going to rise.
ESPN analyst fans the flames over Brandon Aiyuk joining the Coommanders
Bill Barnwell of ESPN acknowledged that the Commanders are an obvious landing spot for Aiyuk. Even so, the analyst thought this only makes sense if the Niners release him, given the financial commitment Washington would take on in any potential trade.
"[Brandon] Aiyuk might be released or need to renegotiate that deal before landing somewhere else. One obvious landing spot is Washington, where the Commanders employ former 49ers executive Adam Peters and have an opening in their lineup at wide receiver with Deebo Samuel hitting free agency. Aiyuk was Jayden Daniels' teammate at Arizona State, too. But even for a team with a quarterback on a rookie deal, $27 million would be a big ask for a player who hasn't played since the middle of 2024."Bill Barnwell, ESPN
The Commanders will do their due diligence. Peters knows the wideout well from their time together in San Francisco, but he needs to ask questions. Why did he completely cut off all contact with the franchise? And his answer should tell the front-office leader everything he needs to know.
Daniels will vouch for the move. There is a deep connection between Aiyuk and the on-field chemistry they developed in college at Arizona State that would ensure a smooth transition. The concerns are obvious, so anything more than a one-year, prove-it deal may not be a risk worth taking.
That's even without counting the injury problems Aiyuk's suffered. A significant knee injury caused him to miss the entire 2025 campaign. There is just no telling if he can return to his old form. But if it doesn't take the Commanders much to find out for sure, they might pull the trigger.
The Niners have to release him first. Another team may make a trade offer, but it seems unlikely. Aiyuk's curious case demands more attention than most, and it'll be interesting to discover whether the investigations result in Washington throwing its hat into the ring.