{"id":865241,"date":"2026-04-13T03:51:57","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T03:51:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/865241\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T03:51:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T03:51:57","slug":"commanders-get-heartening-update-on-49ers-wr-brandon-aiyuk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/865241\/","title":{"rendered":"Commanders Get Heartening Update on 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Brandon\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

The Commanders have been urged to make a move for 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk<\/p>\n

The Washington Commanders<\/a> don\u2019t appear overly interested in trading for a huge wide receiver contract, but a lack of curiosity from around the league in San Francisco 49ers<\/a> pass-catcher Bradon Aiyuk<\/a> may mean the Commanders won\u2019t have to.<\/p>\n

Washington just paid Terry McLaurin<\/a> on a three-year extension worth $97 million<\/a> total ahead of the 2025 campaign, during which he missed seven games after playing in every contest possible across four consecutive years before that.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Aiyuk has not been on the field for a regular-season snap since midway through 2024, when he suffered a major knee injury that included tears to his ACL and MCL. He was supposed to return at some point during the middle of last season, but internal issues with the 49ers led to the player and team essentially losing all contact and Aiyuk remaining out for all of 2025.<\/p>\n

San Francisco has voided all $27 million in guarantees on Aiyuk\u2019s deal for 2026, citing the wideout\u2019s lack of participation in a scheduled rehabilitation plan following his injury. The receiver has chosen not to fight that decision.<\/p>\n

Those developments have led reporters and analysts around the NFL<\/a> to speculate that the Niners will eventually cut Aiyuk loose. However, he remains under contract through 2028 on a four-year contract worth $120 million<\/a> total.<\/p>\n

So, instead of merely releasing him with a post-June 1 designation, which will save the 49ers $6.3 million<\/a> against the salary cap, the team is hunting a trade for Aiyuk on that same timeline. Trading him saves San Francisco the same amount of money, but it would bring a draft asset of some sort back in return.<\/p>\n

49ers Receiving Almost Zero Interest in Trade for Brandon Aiyuk\"Brandon<\/p>\n

GettyWide receiver Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers.<\/p>\n

The likelihood of an Aiyuk trade will drop significantly if the draft \u2014 which begins on Thursday, April 23 and runs through the following weekend \u2014 passes without a deal coming together.<\/p>\n

But the chances of any agreement happening before then are also low based on a recent report from Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network.<\/p>\n

\u201cTalking to people around the league, the name [Aiyuk] has not come up at all,\u201d Jeremiah said, per KNBR<\/a>. \u201cSo, that one \u2014 that\u2019s a mystery.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brandon Aiyuk Can Offer Commanders High Value at Minimal Risk\"Brandon<\/p>\n

GettyWide receiver Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers.<\/p>\n

That low-level mystery could prove a boon for the Commanders if\/when the 49ers decide to cut bait with the former second-team All-Pro (2023) and send him to free agency.<\/p>\n

Given how long Aiyuk has been absent from the field and his new reputation as a potentially troublesome addition \u2014 whether that moniker is fair or unfair \u2014 should put him in line for a one-year prove-it contract in 2026. He should also be healthy, motivated and ready to produce Week 1.<\/p>\n

Aiyuk turned just 28 years old in March, and Spotrac projects his market value at $12.3 million<\/a> on a new one-year deal. He has the upside of a WR1 alongside McLaurin, who is also a viable top option if healthy heading into his age-31 campaign.<\/p>\n

Given the state of Washington\u2019s receiver room, Aiyuk would step into the position group as the clear No. 1 or 2 option from Day 1.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMax Dible<\/a> covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Commanders\n\t\t<\/p>\n

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