The Washington Commanders have done solid work this offseason, but there are still a handful of needs that this team could be looking to fill. Perhaps the biggest of the bunch is at wide receiver, where the Commanders don’t have a true No. 2 option behind Terry McLaurin on the depth chart currently.
Washington has been linked to a handful of different options at this spot this offseason, but one guy who is seemingly intent on finding his way onto the roster is San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. At one point, it seemed like the Commanders were a legitimate landing spot for Aiyuk, but his recent social media antics appear to have soured the team on its pursuit of him.
Commanders No Longer Interested in Acquiring Brandon Aiyuk
The sudden fall from grace Aiyuk has experienced has been one of the most shocking developments over the past year or so in the NFL. After putting together an All-Pro campaign in 2023, Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the 49ers that seemingly made him a key piece of their future. Instead, he’s become a nuisance.
Aiyuk struggled through seven games in 2024 before he suffered a torn ACL. The hope was that he’d return in 2025, but that never happened, and eventually, the Niners managed to void the remaining guarantees in Aiyuk’s contract after he failed to attend a mandatory injury rehab session. Since then, Aiyuk’s future has been in limbo, with the Commanders briefly looking like his only way out of San Fran.
Instead, Aiyuk has engaged in a months-long social media tirade that has included him taking shots at Washington’s quarterback, Jayden Daniels. According to a report from Matt Barrows and Nicki Jhabvala, the Commanders were actually interested in finding a way to bring Aiyuk to town this offseason, but his actions on social media have all but ended that train of thought.
“Prior to Aiyuk’s comments on social media, multiple sources with knowledge of the Commanders’ thinking said the team viewed him as a player who could potentially boost its roster if he became available and he was confirmed to be in full health,” Barrows and Jhabvala reported. “But the more Aiyuk has posted on social media, the more he has seemed to jeopardize his hopes of returning to an active NFL roster — including Washington’s.”
Who Else Could Commanders Target After Passing on Brandon Aiyuk?
GettySEATTLE, WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 10: Brandon Aiyuk #11 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on October 10, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Aiyuk would have made a lot of sense for the Commanders, but his antics are too much to handle right now. Beyond that, the Niners have no real need to just give Aiyuk away for free, so unless a team trades for him, he’s likely going to hang around in San Francisco on its reserve/left squad list. As a result, if Washington wants another wide receiver, it is going to have to look elsewhere.
The good news is that there are a handful of options available, with Stefon Diggs becoming a trendy target in recent weeks. The Commanders will likely assess their depth chart at this spot before making any sort of move, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them bring in a veteran pass catcher to work behind McLaurin as their WR2.
Brandon Aiyuk Gets Brutal Update on Commanders’ Interest