San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is on his way out, despite signing a four-year contract extension ahead of the 2024 season. During Week 7 of the 2024 season, Aiyuk tore the ACL and MCL in his knee, sending him to injured reserve for the remainder of the season.

Aiyuk’s recovery and rehab took a considerable amount of time, and he began the 2025 season on the PUP list. He never made it to the field. In November 2025, the 49ers voided the guarantees in his contract for lack of participation, which he did not appeal.

Advertisement

The rift between the two parties has only grown since then, leaving the league to speculate on where he might end up, with many suggesting the Washington Commanders, something NFL Insider Jordan Schultz spoke about this week.

“Obviously, he’s not in the building,” Schultz says. “And they don’t really have to do anything right now, and it’s been like that for a while. I remember asking someone in that building, ‘hey, do you think you’ll trade him during the draft?’ And it’s been the same answer: Maybe, probably not, who knows? That’s what it’s felt like.

“He won’t be there next season, and at some point, you’d have to assume that he’s probably released because everyone knows he’s not going to be there next season, so why would you trade for him? There’s an obvious connection to Washington because of Jayden Daniels and Arizona State because of that connection, but I’m still not convinced that’s going to happen.”

Advertisement

Schultz goes on to discuss how we haven’t seen Aiyuk on the football field since 2024. And yeah, he was a great football player 2-3 years ago, but we have no idea what kind of shape he is in now or whether he’s ready to play at the same elite level he reached before his injury. This is part of why it’s hard to determine where he might land.

As Schultz says, “The only thing we really know, definitively, is that he won’t be a 49er next season.”

And until he’s actually released, no one is going to know if he’s in game shape or not. Every team in the NFL that might be interested will put him through a thorough physical before any contract is signed, and that includes the Commanders.

Washington may be the best landing spot for Aiyuk to find his place in the NFL again, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right thing for the organization to do. At this point, it’s a waiting game for everyone anyway, so the Commanders will move forward with the players they have.

Advertisement

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders may not sign Brandon Aiyuk if released?