Brandon

Aiyuk

In other words, if an NFL team wants Aiyuk to learn their system this offseason, they can trade for him. “Why would the 49ers do a team that they compete with a favor by handing Aiyuk over for free now? Perhaps they’ll release him after the draft if they can’t find a suitor by then. But San Francisco can wait much longer if it wants to,” write the pair of Athletic 49ers beat writers. From the outside, it sure seems like a way to punish a player that essentially quit on the team last season as well. 49ers owner Jed York said that he would like to see Aiyuk play for the 49ers on Monday, but both beats note “York was speaking more in general terms about Aiyuk’s talent, perhaps not realizing Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have shown zero interest in bringing Aiyuk back. Furthermore, there is no space for him anymore in the budget.”

This is a new one. As the Niners continue to delay what feels like the inevitable trade/release of Aiyuk, York said he would still prefer to see the 2023 Second-team All-Pro return to the team he’s been in a stalemate with since last season. The 49ers voided what guaranteed money was left on Aiyuk’s deal last season after he failed to meet contractual obligations, after he reportedly stopped coming to the team’s facilities to rehab the torn ACL he suffered the previous season. Aiyuk hasn’t played a down of football since going down in Week 7 of 2024 and was held to fewer than 50 yards in six of the seven games he appeared in that season. What remains one of the more puzzling sagas in the league gets even more interesting now that York has seemingly endorsed the idea of Aiyuk returning should he be interested in doing so. One thing is certain: this is not the last time we will talk about Aiyuk and his future with the 49ers.

Shanahan was speaking in the context of a trade for the embattled receiver at league meetings, but the delayed decision to release him suggests the team is in no rush to get him off its roster. Shanahan said at the league meetings that the team hopes to find a way to trade Aiyuk for something in return, but the much-publicized divorce between the two sides makes that highly unlikely. Aiyuk’s future contract guarantees were voided by the 49ers in January after he failed to meet certain contractual obligations this past season while recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in 2024. It’s only a matter of time before the two sides officially split, but with the team truly in no rush to do something, we won’t hold our breath waiting for something to get done.

49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk obviously comes to mind, and multiple team sources tell Keim that the Commanders are “well aware” of Aiyuk’s “desire” to be reunited with his former college quarterback, Jayden Daniels, but Keim believes the Commanders are unlikely to trade for him. If Aiyuk were to be released, Keim thinks only a one-year, prove-it deal would be offered. Keim follows the Aiyuk section by saying the Commanders could also draft a receiver. Perhaps the team is negotiating through the media. Perhaps not. Hopefully, things will become clearer in the coming weeks and months. Keim adds that the front office would have pursued Colts WR Alec Pierce had he not re-signed with Indianapolis and, per Keim, Pierce “absolutely” would have signed with Washington in that scenario. The Commanders also pursued former Packers WR Romeo Doubs but lost out to the Patriots.

This is just a housekeeping item. We aren’t breaking any news here. It’s been apparent since the new league year began that the 49ers are going to try to get something for their former star, rather than simply releasing him. There is no guaranteed money left in the contract, so the team can hold him for now and try to trade him away for draft picks, perhaps during the 2026 NFL Draft, or any other desired compensation. If a draft-day trade fails to materialize, things might get tricky for the 49ers’ front office once June rolls around, at which point the team might need to make a decision about releasing him as a post-June 1 cut. Schefter adds that the Commanders “make a lot of sense” as a destination — if you weren’t paying attention, the worst-kept secret in football is that former 49ers GM Adam Peters will bring another 49ers star receiver to Washington once given the chance.

Aiyuk has been on the outs with the team for at least a year now and was never going to return to San Francisco in 2026. Wagoner said the Commanders remain the favorite to land Aiyuk after his release, expected to be a post-June 1 designation. Aiyuk, 27, will cost the Niners around $13.3 million in dead money this year and $21.7 million in 2027. If he signs with Washington, the deal will surely be of the prove-it variety.

If the Commanders were to make such a move, though, Keim believes that “they’d still likely pursue another wideout to pair with Terry McLaurin.” Keim lists 49ers WR Jauan Jennings, Packers WR Romeo Doubs, Colts WR Alec Pierce and Seahawks WR Rashid Shaheed as potential options. Commanders general manager Adam Peters is expected to be very active next week.

It is all but certain Aiyuk will not be a 49er for next season. The new league year will be coming up in March, making any kind of trade/release with the 27-year-old more doable. A release is more likely, but Lynch added, “who knows...maybe someone this week will have some interest.” Aiyuk will be a new addition to the receiver market as suitable teams like the Commanders and Steelers start making moves in free agency.

This was presumed to be the case when the 49ers put Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list. It’s still stunning to hear about a player who signed a four-year, $120 million contract one season. San Francisco voided future guarantees in Aiyuk’s deal after he failed to meet certain contractual obligations. That should make it relatively easy for the team to release at some point in the offseason. He will be free to sign with any team, though the San Francisco fiasco will cost him an absurd amount of money in the long-run. NFL insiders have tabbed the Commanders and Steelers as potential landing spots for the mercurial wideout.

If you’re not familiar with the reserve/left squad list, that’s okay, it is something typically reserved for players about to retire. The awkward saga between Aiyuk and the 49ers appears to be ending in a messy divorce, with the recent move by the team all but ensuring the two sides split in the coming offseason. The transaction also officially ends Aiyuk’s 2025 season before it began. Stay tuned through the offseason.