San Francisco 49ers‘ Brandon Aiyuk has been linked to the Washington Commanders due to his relationship with starting QB Jayden Daniels, as both players played college football together.
Nonetheless, the Niners have no intention of releasing the player and would welcome a trade offer. However, the Commanders likely have no intention of trading for Aiyuk. As a result, both sides are standing firm, which could prompt Washington to consider other alternatives.
With OTAs and mandatory minicamps on the horizon, the Commanders probably want someone who can come in and build chemistry with Daniels and learn their offense.
There are a handful of veteran wideouts out on the market, and The Team 980’s Kevin Sheehan floats that Stefon Diggs should be an option for Washington.
“I am a Stefon Diggs fan from this standpoint,” Sheehan said in a May 6 video from The Team 980. “I think he’s as good a competitor as the game has. He is there on game day, and yes, he is probably a short-dose guy, a pain in the backside for coaches and teammates.
“But short dose, one season, a big season, where there’s a team with a need for a No. 2 receiver, for a guy who loves to win and helps you win on Sundays, [the Commanders are] not making a commitment beyond 2026. Call me interested in Stefon Diggs.”
While Aiyuk is still in his prime and potentially better than Diggs, the Commanders might see it as the veteran played last season and was part of a team that reached the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, there’s a huge question mark with Aiyuk, who didn’t play last season but has shown he can be a No. 1 receiver.
Insider Gives Update on Brandon Aiyuk Situation
The Commanders probably want that No. 1 receiver that many saw in the 2023 season, and if he and Daniels can get on the same page, then it gives Washington an intriguing duo for the 2025 season.
Still, that seems like a far-away scenario, given that the 49ers want compensation for Aiyuk. On April 29, NFL insider Ian Rapoport shared the latest on Aiyuk, noting that there’s interest from Washington.
“I think the 49ers are like, just trade for him,” Rapoport said during an appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show.” “He has no guaranteed money left. He is due a big number, $27 [million] or something like that, but no guaranteed money remains because he stopped showing up for rehab last year, and they took his guaranteed money away.
“If you are a team like the Commanders, who have interest, you say just cut him. You are going to cut him anyway. The Niners are saying they will not cut him and that you have to trade for him. The Commanders respond that you should just cut him. That is where things stand. It is a standoff.”
Niners Have New Pass Catching Options for Brock Purdy
Over the offseason, the 49ers have invested heavily in the wideout position, signing Christian Kirk and Mike Evans in free agency while drafting De’Zhaun Stribling in Round 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
As a result, Brock Purdy will have several options to go to this season without Aiyuk and George Kittle, who is recovering from a torn Achilles injury and was recently cautioned by former NFL wideout Cris Carter in taking his time in returning to the field.
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