The last time we saw Brandon Aiyuk on a football field was in 2024, when he left a game with a serious knee injury.
That came just weeks after he signed a four-year, $120 million contract ($76 million guaranteed) with the San Francisco 49ers.
From that point on, however, everything went downhill. In July 2025, the 49ers voided roughly $27 million in contract guarantees after Aiyuk stopped following the team’s rehab protocol and missed important checkups following his surgery.
San Francisco’s decision, while understandable, completely severed the relationship with Aiyuk. He requested a trade, stopped reporting to the 49ers’ facilities and began publicly criticizing the organization on social media. That led the team to place him on the Reserve/Left Squad list entering the 2026 season.
Aiyuk Files for NFL Reinstatement
Now, after sitting out the entire season, Aiyuk has finally filed his paperwork to be reinstated into the NFL and will report to the 49ers’ facilities on Friday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
With that, San Francisco must decide whether to keep him on the roster, which seems highly unlikely, release him or trade him before next Tuesday’s deadline.
Once Brandon Aiyuk officially reports back to the 49ers, the organization’s options are to keep him under his current contract, release him or potentially find a trade partner before Tuesday’s deadline.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 4, 2026
The Washington Commanders could be in the mix, as many expected the team to pursue the former star wide receiver throughout the offseason.
Everything seemed to point toward Aiyuk joining quarterback Jayden Daniels in Washington, but the move never happened, largely because of Aiyuk’s actions off the field.
Commanders Not Expected to Pursue Aiyuk
Following news of Aiyuk’s NFL comeback, rumors began swirling about where he might play next. However, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported Wednesday morning that Washington does not expect to pursue Aiyuk.
“The Commanders have looked around for wide receiver help at the trade deadline, but I do not expect them to be in the market for Brandon Aiyuk, who recently hired a new agent to help orchestrate his long-overdue exit from San Francisco,” Graziano said on Wednesday. “Washington was the team many had connected with Aiyuk during last offseason’s drama. He played with Commanders QB Jayden Daniels at Arizona State years ago, and he referenced his desire to play for the Commanders in several social media posts over the summer. But he said a lot of other things in those social media posts that turned teams off, and specifically some things about Daniels and his mother that make it unlikely a reunion ends up happening there.”
Graziano: Commanders not expected to be in the potential market for Brandon Aiyuk.
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) November 4, 2026
Washington could use another wide receiver following Terry McLaurin’s injury, but given the drama surrounding Aiyuk over the last few seasons, the Commanders clearly aren’t willing to take that risk right now.
Washington Commanders Get Brandon Aiyuk Trade Update Amid NFL Comeback