Brandon Aiyuk has made it clear in this rift with the San Francisco 49ers that he wants to play with the Washington Commanders. The question here is whether the Commanders want Aiyuk on the team.
It’s unlikely that Washington makes a trade for Aiyuk, given that he’s coming off a serious knee injury and isn’t part of the Niners’ plans this season. However, the team has made it clear that, unless they are forced into a decision, San Francisco will keep the wideout on the Reserve/Left Squad list.
Nonetheless, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic shared where the Commanders stand in all of this in a June 30 mailbag article.
“I know that earlier in the offseason, the Commanders were interested in him to the extent that they would consider a one-year, highly incentivized deal if and when the San Francisco 49ers ever release him,” Jhabvala wrote.
“Jayden Daniels is obviously close with the 28-year-old receiver, and general manager Adam Peters was a part of San Francisco’s front office when it drafted Aiyuk in 2020. So they know what Aiyuk was at his peak. The Commanders were not going to trade for him, though.”
Does Washington Still Have an Interest in the 49ers’ Wideout?
Nonetheless, Jhabvala notes that the interest predates the recent spate of videos on social media in which Aiyuk doesn’t hold back in his criticism of the 49ers in this saga.
“The thinking was that if Aiyuk played anywhere close to the level he did a few years ago, then the Commanders would have two excellent receivers with him and Terry McLaurin, with depth and speed behind them,” Jhabvala added in the article.
“If things went south with Aiyuk, the Commanders could get out at no real cost. 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.”
Brandon Aiyuk’s Talent Might Be Too Much to Pass On
In the four seasons he’s played for the 49ers, Aiyuk has recorded 294 receptions for 4,305 receiving yards and has scored 27 touchdowns in 69 games, per StatMuse. Aiyuk missed the entire 2025 season due to a severe right knee injury—a torn ACL and MCL—that he suffered in 2024.
Because of this production with the Niners, Washington could still consider him if the timeline makes sense. If healthy, Aiyuk could be a WR1 threat for their offense, and that type of player might be hard for them to pass on, given that they need more proven depth at wide receiver.
“If the 49ers do release Aiyuk before the start of training camp, the Commanders could still consider him,” Jhabvala noted. “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.
“Then there’s the physical component. His talent a few years ago may not have been in question, but his ability to play at that level now certainly is; the last time he was active was in Week 7 of the 2024 season. That was more than 20 months ago.”
Commanders Insider Issues Blunt Update on 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk