A glowing review of Brandon Aiyuk doesn’t alter the risks the Washington Commanders face if they trade for the disgruntled San Francisco 49ers wide receiver, so why not consider an alternative who’s an eight-time Pro Bowler and five-time first-team All-Pro, is still available in 2026 NFL free agency and can be signed “on a short-term deal?”
Those are the reasons Tyreek Hill is a viable fit for the Commanders, according to Frank Schwab of Yahoo! Sports. He described a credible sense of panic for Hill, who remains on the market, despite an impressive CV that also includes a Super Bowl title.
Working out why Hill still hasn’t found a new home is easy. At least to Schwab, who pointed out “Hill was cut by the Dolphins in mid-February and he’s still a free agent after the draft. Plenty of that has to do with the combination of his age (32) and a bad knee injury that ended his 2025 season. It makes his market a bit tricky.”
Those are legitimate reasons for a team to be reluctant about offering Hill a contract, but Schwab still thinks “Perhaps the Commanders would if Brandon Aiyuk doesn’t work out. But there aren’t a lot of obvious fits, and we’re deep into the offseason.”
Aiyuk remains the most obvious fit for the Commanders, who recently gained some valuable inside information on the wideout. Yet, Schwab cautioned that “Aiyuk has had two lost seasons in a row, first to a torn ACL and then last year when he practically went AWOL from the 49ers. He could be a huge addition but there’s plenty of risk.”
Commanders general manager Adam Peters would be gambling if he chose Aiyuk or Hill, but there’s a greater risk. Namely, not supporting star quarterback Jayden Daniels with enough talent, an accusation already levied against the Commanders this offseason.
Tyreek Hill Would Solve Jayden Daniels Problem
Schwab believes a sense of panic about the lack of marquee playmakers around Daniels is warranted. As Schwab put it, the Commanders adding seven of their eight most prominent and expensive signings in free agency to defense, before selecting just one skill-position player on offense “in the top 186 picks” of the 2026 NFL draft, “isn’t the normal approach to building around a young quarterback.”
Signing Hill would be a splashy way to debunk a lot of this criticism. He may be in the winter of his career, but the veteran is still a burner who can scare defenses.
Hill showed his enduring talent as a field-stretcher was still intact by averaging 12.6 yards per catch in four games with the Miami Dolphins last season, according to Pro Football Reference. He also tallied 9.9 yards before catch per reception, and received eight deep targets before injury struck, per Player Profiler.
If he’s fully healthy, Hill can give Daniels something different to Aiyuk. Namely, a weapon still dynamic enough to make defenses predictable by keeping safeties deep.
Something sure to take attention away from five-time 1,000-yard receiver Terry McLaurin, as well as open up the middle of the field for a rookie wideout who could be a steal.
Commanders Have Other Alternatives to Brandon Aiyuk
Using a third-round pick to take Clemson’s Antonio Williams off the board gave the Commanders a potentially explosive, after-catch playmaker from the slot. Williams is already being tipped to become a high-volume target as a rookie.
New Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough will need Williams to deliver, because question marks remain for other targets. Including another third-round pick, 2024 draftee Luke McCaffrey, who faces an uphill battle to stick on the roster after under-performing as a top-100 choice.
Last year’s fourth-rounder Jaylin Lane also still has a lot to prove, although he’ll probably get a long look this season. Then there are veterans Van Jefferson and Dyami Brown, both burners, but neither are able to match what Hill can do as a vertical playmaker.
This depth chart shows Daniels still needs help, and while he might prefer to see college teammate Aiyuk arrive, the Commanders aren’t short of decent alternatives.
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