Andrew Buller-Russ
In a slow time of the NFL offseason, Brandon Aiyuk is doing his best to steal the spotlight, even though he hasn’t played a snap of football since October of 2024. Nevertheless, Aiyuk is trying to capture everyone’s attention, but most notably, his goal is to get released from the San Francisco 49ers. Even though the 49ers’ general manager John Lynch recently showed up to Aiyuk’s house, that meeting apparently didn’t go well.
Throughout it all, one thing that’s become clear is that Aiyuk won’t be playing for the 49ers again. But the 28-year-old would like to join the Washington Commanders, where he’d reunite with Jayden Daniels, who played with Aiyuk in college at Arizona State. Yet, is that interest mutual?
Commanders Would Have Signed Brandon Aiyuk Before… Now? Maybe Not
According to The Athletic‘s Nicki Jhabvala, the Commanders certainly would have had interest in signing Aiyuk to what she said likely would have been a one-year, “highly incentivized” contract, but only once the 49ers released him. The Commanders had no interest in ever pursuing a trade for the receiver who is entering the second season of a four-year, $120 million contract.
However, that was then, and this is now, and the Commanders may feel differently about crossing paths with Aiyuk after his several recent social media tirades.
Now Jhabvala is much more skeptical of any potential interest from Washington. There could still be interest in the former second-team All-Pro, but there are also many more question marks too.
“But this was before the erratic Instagram rants that have created worry about Aiyuk’s frame of mind. What was once a seemingly minimal-risk option now appears more concerning. If the 49ers do release Aiyuk before the start of training camp, the Commanders could still consider him. But they’d have to feel incredibly confident that he’s fit, physically and emotionally, to not just sign, but be committed to what they’re trying to build. That’s a big “if” given his recent history and the fallout with the 49ers. There’s a lot to unpack and plenty of reason for the Commanders to have trepidation in taking him on, if there’s still interest. He has seemed to achieve what he wants by drawing headline after headline with his social media posts, but the long-term prospects of a return no longer seem as promising.”
The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala on Washington Commanders/Brandon Aiyuk
Jhabvala also noted that Aiyuk physically may not be at the same level as he once was. After all, it’s been over 20 months since he was on an active NFL roster. Which is why any team that does take a chance on him certainly won’t be willing to take on the remainder of his contract.
Ultimately, it’s odd that the 49ers haven’t realized they have no choice but to cut bait with who was once their leading receiver, yet they also don’t want to face the stiff cap penalties involved with moving on from such an expensive player. If the 49ers release Aiyuk right now, they’d have $7.3 million in cap penalties just for 2026.
But that’s not all; the 49ers would also have $19.2 million of dead cap charges from eating Aiyuk’s contract that they’d have to deal with on their 2027 cap sheet too. It’s a stiff penalty for signing someone who was once viewed as a franchise cornerstone, and now the sides no longer want anything to do with each other.
Related: One NFL Trade All 32 Teams Could Make Before 2026 Season Starts
