No strong links between the Washington Commanders and Brandon Aiyuk have surfaced in the wake of the wide receiver’s social media implosion, which has left fans in the DMV with just a single strong hope for the team to bolster its pass-catching group in the coming weeks.
John Keim of ESPN examined the receiver position Monday, August 3, noting that it poses an interesting battle for starting work/snaps alongside established No. 1 option Terry McLaurin. Keim also mentioned that Stefon Diggs is the only big-name wideout in free agency with any steam behind ultimately joining the Commanders this summer.
“Washington probably will mix and match depending on the matchups and the game plan, but players still have to earn time — whether it’s third-round pick Antonio Williams or past draft choices Jaylin Lane and Luke McCaffrey,” Keim wrote. “The Commanders also have veterans Treylon Burks, Dyami Brown and Van Jefferson. So the battle is not only to earn time as a No. 2 but also potentially just for a roster spot.”
“Also, the Commanders could still sign a wideout: Stefon Diggs remains a player of interest, but other free agents don’t appear to be on their radar,” Keim continued.
Stefon Diggs Far Ahead of Brandon Aiyuk Regarding Commanders’ WR2 Position
GettyFree agent wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
Keim made the same argument for Diggs on July 30 during a radio hit with “Sports Junkies” on 106.7 The Fan.
“I don’t think there’s anybody else other than [Diggs] that would be a possibility at this point,” Keim explained. “Nobody else is free that I think would tempt them. And I think some people that may come free later have not helped themselves this offseason — in the last month and a half in particular.”
Keim’s comments about players who aren’t free to sign in free agency yet, but might become so, were clearly in reference to Aiyuk. The 28-year-old wideout remains on the San Francisco 49ers‘ roster despite not having played a snap for the team since October 2024, right after he inked a $120 million deal.
Aiyuk has posted several videos to his Instagram story over recent weeks, in which he has insulted and taunted 49ers brass. Most recently, Aiyuk made what appeared to be insensitive comments about Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan following a car collision that left him with serious injuries.
Handful of Available Veteran WRs Apparently Not of Interest to Commanders
GettyFormer Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
As far as Keim’s assessment of the remainder of the veteran free-agent class as undesirable in Washington’s collective eyes, it appears to apply to everyone still available, including players like Tyreek Hill.
Hill suffered a serious leg injury in Week 4 of last season. And by his own admission, the leg in question is still absent the requisite strength to return to the practice field, let alone a field of NFL play.
Keenan Allen and DeAndre Hopkins are also names on the list of available pass-catchers. Former Commanders wideout Deebo Samuel recently inked a one-year contract to return to San Francisco in 2026.
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