If things weren't already nasty between the San Francisco 49ers and their disgruntled and AWOL wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk, they certainly increased a few degrees in light of his most recent social media call-outs and slander directed at his still-employer.
"You wanna know why they really mad though?" Aiyuk said in an Instagram video. "They mad 'cause they stupid. They dumb. They mad that they paid me $50 million in eight months and then voided my guarantees for 2027. And I'm about to be on a new team in 2027."
Is he, though?
The widespread belief is Aiyuk is doing everything in his limited power to join the Washington Commanders where he can play with his good collegiate friend, quarterback Jayden Daniels. The Niners are desperately hoping to get Washington to trade for him, but Commanders general manager Adam Peters has no true incentive to dish out trade capital for a player who'll assuredly be released by the beginning of September when his roster bonus is due.
That helps explain the stalemate. But, what if the Commanders are having serious second thoughts about taking a flier on Aiyuk?
There's ample evidence of that, too.
Commanders could be just as reluctant to sign Brandon Aiyuk as the 49ers are to release him
Here are the known facts:
- Aiyuk hasn't played since October of 2024 when he tore his ACL and MCL
- San Francisco raised red flags when it voided Aiyuk's guarantees for 2026 after he failed to comply with rehabilitation protocols
- Aiyuk was placed on the rarely used reserve/left squad list
- 49ers brass has publicly declared he'll never play for them again
- Aiyuk's social media activity has generated plenty of controversy and even legal ramifications
True, Washington desperately needs a quality No. 2 wide receiver to pair with veteran Terry McLaurin in an attempt to aid Daniels, and on the surface, a fully healthy Aiyuk would make more than enough sense.
However, would Peters and the Commanders be willing to risk that with Aiyuk, knowing fully well his health is a massive question mark and the nature of his interactions with the Niners do little other than paint him in a negative light?
It's a question Riggo's Rag's Ryan McCafferty asked when debating whether or not Washington might simply want to wholly bypass the Aiyuk saga:
Inside, Daniels is almost certainly hoping the Commanders land Aiyuk when this is all said and done. But he's also mature enough to understand that the NFL is a business, not a charity for him. If Washington doesn't make a move, he's not going to raise a big stink over it.
That's precisely why the Commanders' brass needs to stop wasting their time and just leave Aiyuk alone.
He is a child throwing a tantrum. With seven games played in the past two seasons, he's not worth the trouble. What's going to happen when he gets unhappy in D.C., too? ...
It's time to draw a line in the sand. Aiyuk doesn't get to threaten his way to Washington. No one — not even Daniels — is going to put up a fight if the Commanders say enough is enough.
Sign somebody else and be done with it.
Perhaps this is the sentiment growing inside the Commanders building. The uptick in drama and slander is pushing Peters and Co. further away from even offering a prove-it deal to Aiyuk, once that time arrives, and the rest of the evidence suggests Washington might simply want to explore other options instead.
It's fair to wonder what Aiyuk's reaction to that increasingly likely outcome would be.
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