San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Commanders Passing on Brandon Aiyuk Trade, Will Wait For 49ers Release

Originally posted on Washington Commanders on SI
By Caleb Skinner | Last updated Mar 21, 2026 10:09 AM ET

The Washington Commanders came into the 2026 offseason fully understanding that they would need to restructure their wide receiver room.

The unit as a whole didn't perform awfully, but only Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel surpassed 500 yards, with no wideout eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark. Not only that, but out of the 13 combined receiving touchdowns of the group, McLaurin and Samuel had eight between them, with Luke McCaffrey catching three scores and Chris Moore and Treylon Burks one each.

As it stands now, the Commanders will be entering the season with McLaurin, Burks, and McCaffrey as their top three wideouts, with Jaylin Lane and recently signed Van Jefferson and Dyami Brown being solid depth for Jayden Daniels.

The Commanders have done a good job of raising the floor of the WR room, but they are still missing that legitimate second fiddle to McLaurin. Washington has been consistently linked to disgruntled and controversial San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk, who could fill that void.

However, according to a recent report from ESPN's John Keim, the Commanders are unlikely to trade for the star skill player, as they await his eventual release if the 49ers aren't able to find a trade partner before June 1st.

Commanders Only Interested in One-Year Aiyuk Deal

"One intriguing name could be San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk," wrote Keim. "Multiple team sources said Washington is well aware of Aiyuk's desire to play with Daniels. But Aiyuk remains under contract and the Commanders would be unlikely to trade for him or, when free, sign him to anything other than a one-year, prove-it deal."

The situation between Aiyuk and the 49ers has been well-reported on, so it's clear that the organization will not work with the wideout to help send him to a preferred destination in a trade. The 49ers don't owe anything to Aiyuk, but would like to get some sort of return for a player of his caliber, but may be forced to just take the L and move on from the entire situation.

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

While the Commanders are indeed in need of a complement to McLaurin, they aren't desperate and know that they should be able to wait things out when it comes to Aiyuk.

Picking up Aiyuk if the 49ers aren't able to find a trade partner pre-June 1st would be how Aiyuk would reunite with his collegiate quarterback at Arizona State in Daniels, but the front office will want to see him prove that he still has the passion to play the game while giving production along with it.

Aiyuk has shown that he can make a huge impact for an offense, but it will be up to his mental fortitude and the status of his knee that he injured a couple of years back, on whether he is still the player we remember from just a few seasons ago, or if he will fade off into a what could have been player in the league.

This article first appeared on Washington Commanders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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