San Francisco 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk is convinced that he will be playing for the Washington Commanders. There’s a reported interest from the Commanders, but that was before the recent plethora of videos attacking the Niners.
As a result, while Washington might want to improve its wideout group, the question is: Do they want to deal with Aiyuk and the potential headache he could bring? Moreover, the wide receiver might be burning his bridge with Jayden Daniels.
With that in mind, Wynston Wilcox of FanSided gave the Commanders a trade idea that would allow them to move past any interest in Aiyuk. Wilcox has Washington sending a 2026 third-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for Brian Thomas Jr.
“The Commanders need some long-term stability at receiver, and Thomas Jr. could provide that,” Wilcox wrote in a July 6 article. “After all, McLaurin is getting up there, and they don’t have any real depth after that.
“It’s going to cost a meaningful draft pick, but giving up a third-rounder is worth it for a player that could be an explosive contributor. Washington could get away with a fourth-rounder after a down season last year, but the Jaguars aren’t actively shopping him, which means he might be pricey to land.”
Commanders Can’t Wait Around for Brandon Aiyuk
Even though the Commanders could wait out the Aiyuk situation and get him once the 49ers do release him for free, Wilcox believes that because of Washington’s investment in their current roster, they need just to shore up their need for a wideout even if it costs a Day 2 pick.
“If you’re Washington, you’ve invested way too much into this roster to not go add a player like Thomas,” Wilcox added in his article. “And if it’s only going to cost a third-round pick, that’s not bad for a player that can change this offense.
“The Commanders had a lot of problems with staying healthy in 2025. Both Daniels and McLaurin were part of that problem. This year, if McLaurin does miss time, a player like Thomas could very well fill in and keep this offense afloat.”
49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk Could Be Dwindling His NFL Hopes
Meanwhile, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco believes Aiyuk’s time in the NFL could be dwindling, which is why this trade idea from Wilcox makes sense for the Commanders.
“I kind of feel like, at this point, he’s talking his way out of the NFL,” Maiocco said in a July 5 video on his YouTube channel. “The one thing is that he’s been saying he’s going to be with the Commanders, that he’s going to sign with the Commanders the next day after the 49ers release him.
“I never really thought that was anywhere near 100 percent. Who knows? It might happen; it still might happen, but the odds of that happening took a precipitous drop.”
It will be interesting to see what the Commanders do, but even if they still want Aiyuk, the wideout will need to stop recording videos and begin the process of being removed from the Reserve/Left Squad list, which he has yet to do.
Commanders Get Trade Idea as Alternative to 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk