Nobody needs to be told about how close Brandon Aiyuk and Jayden Daniels are. It's a bond that began during their time together at Arizona State and continues to this day. It's also why the Washington Commanders are tabbed as his next destination when the San Francisco 49ers eventually pull the plug.
However, one 49ers insider also thinks it's this relationship that is rubbing the powers that be in San Francisco the wrong way.
The Niners are holding their ground. Call it petty, holding Aiyuk hostage, or something else all you want, but it's their right with the player under contract.
49ers insider believes Jayden Daniels' relationship with Brandon Aiyuk is fueling his standoff
General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan are not going to hand him to another ambitious team within their conference. If San Francisco thinks a trade can be agreed upon, this could go on right until Week 1.
That won't do anyone any favors. Even so, Matt Barrows of The Athletic thinks it's feasible, and he believes Daniels' potential influence on this drawn-out saga is only digging San Francisco's heels in even more.
“I think, it’s just my suspicion, that they feel like the Commanders are angling for Brandon Aiyuk, and you understand why. He is good friends with Jayden Daniels and Jayden Daniels has been communicating with Brandon Aiyuk throughout this whole weird, I call it 'fade-pattern' that he has run.
"It’s not technically tampering, I don’t think, if two buddies are texting each other, but it’s rubbing the 49ers the wrong way that he seems earmarked to go to this other team in this conference."
The Niners don't have much leverage. Lynch has already stated that Aiyuk has played his last down for the club. They are holding out for something, anything, to save some face. But considering the salary-cap hits on the wideout's deal, coupled with how things have unfolded to reach this point, another suitor remains highly unlikely.
Daniels has reportedly pushed for the move, and the Commanders have supposedly warmed to the idea. Tampering might be a little strong, but the signal-caller is clearly having some influence. It's a fine line, but the Niners obviously feel a certain way about how this relationship is completely fracturing past the point of no return.
General manager Adam Peters knows Aiyuk well. He's also close with Shanahan and Lynch, so he'll have a better indication of what really went down on both sides. Reports suggest that the Commanders aren't going to trade for him. They are focusing on other targets, and they'll address this matter if they are free to do so at some stage.
It's a complete mess, and Daniels is being dragged into the storm. And this may not end when Aiyuk is released.