The San Francisco 49ers aren't in a rush to get some kind of transaction done with disgruntled and AWOL wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, and if ultimatley boils down to a release because no other team wants to trade for him, the Niners will wait until Sept. 1 when an option bonus is due.
Of course, San Francisco would like to trade the receiver and get something in return. But, for a would-be suitor like the Washington Commanders—a destination Aiyuk has frequently referenced—to execute a trade, it'd have to take on the risk of signing a receiver who hasn't stepped on the field since October of 2024.
No other team has been linked to Aiyuk more than Washington, and it makes plenty of sense. The 49ers' Round 1 draftee from 2020 used to play with Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels when both were at Arizona State. In the wake of his Niners relationship deteriorating, Aiyuk's desire to team up with Daniels makes plenty of sense.
Except both San Francisco and Washington would have to agree to something, anything, to engineer a trade. Otherwise, the Commanders can only sit by and wait for Aiyuk's inevitable release.
And, if Daniels is privy to that situation, he certainly isn't revealing it.
Jayden Daniels remains hush on Brandon Aiyuk situation with 49ers
The Commanders signal-caller was asked directly about Aiyuk when Washington kicked off organized team activities this week, and Daniels didn't exactly provide any concrete feedback or insight.
"I don’t have a sense on it," Daniels responded. "That is my brother. We have a personal relationship, but his football future is out of my control."
On one hand, what would reporters expect Daniels to say beyond those words? Unless he has direct details from Commanders general manager Adam Peters, it'd be awfully difficult to know where things stand between Aiyuk, the 49ers and any would-be transaction.
That said, Daniels and Aiyuk are close. It'd be a safe bet the quarterback knows a little bit more about what's going on inside the Niners pass catcher's mind than most media types and insiders, but to think Daniels would share any of that to the general public is a pretty foolish proposition.
Daniels isn't going to go there, assuming he knows anything. And if he generally doesn't know where things stand, which also would make plenty of sense, that won't help matters for San Francisco either.
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