The Washington Commanders may not have had the 2025 campaign they were hoping for, but if things go according to plan, they will return to the top of the NFC in 2026. The team has been aggressive early this offseason in an effort to get back on track, but there are still holes on the roster that need to be filled.
One of the biggest remaining areas of need left is at wide receiver, and with Deebo Samuel seeming likely to leave in free agency, that means the Commanders are going to have to find a proper replacement for him. According to NFL analyst Bill Barnwell of ESPN, he believes Washington should target another former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk.
Commanders Urged to Make a Move for Brandon Aiyuk
Over the past year and a half, Aiyuk has become one of the most polarizing figures in the NFL. In 2024, Aiyuk enjoyed a breakout campaign with the 49ers, as he racked up 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns, which earned him a spot on the All-Pro Second Team. After a lengthy contract negotiation, Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million extension with San Fran before the 2024 campaign.
Things quickly went off the rails for Aiyuk. He struggled over the first seven games of the season (25 REC, 374 YDS, 0 TD) before suffering a torn ACL and MCL, which ended his season. The hope was that Aiyuk would be able to return at some point in 2025, but he ended up having a falling out with the Niners, leading the front office to void the remaining guaranteed money on his contract.
That has paved the way for San Fran to move on from Aiyuk this offseason, and while it hasn’t happened yet, the overarching belief is that he will be gone before the start of the new year. While his situation still needs to be resolved, Barnwell thinks that Washington would be wise to take a flier on Aiyuk once he eventually gets cut.
“The 49ers haven’t yet cut Aiyuk in the hopes of landing a trade for their former first-round pick, whose future lays away from San Francisco after a bizarre past 18 months,” Barnwell wrote. “The most realistic scenario would see the 49ers cut Aiyuk sometime between now and Week 1. When they do, it would make all the sense in the world for (Adam) Peters, a former 49ers executive, to sign Aiyuk, who racked up 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns in his last full season.”
Should the Commanders Pursue Brandon Aiyuk?
GettyBrandon Aiyuk #11 of the San Francisco 49ers looks back as he leaves the field in a 15-10 win during a preseason game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium on August 22, 2021 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Not only is Aiyuk’s standing with the Niners uncertain, but nobody has really seen him on a football field since before he suffered his aforementioned injury. Is Aiyuk in football shape, and what should teams make of the worrying posts he’s made on social media as of late? These concerns will surely make some teams wary; the question is whether or not the Commanders are part of that group.
Aiyuk makes sense to bring to town, but it’d probably be worth finding a more reliable option to run alongside Terry McLaurin as the team’s No. 2 wide receiver. Aiyuk has the potential to be a star, but it remains to be seen what he will be able to do once he finds his way back onto the field. Washington should show interest, but it’s important not to get too locked in on Aiyuk, simply because there are too many red flags around him right now.
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