Commanders should want to stay even farther away from Brandon Aiyuk amid Jayden Daniels social media drama

The Washington Commanders already have plenty of reasons to avoid adding wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. He gave them another one on Saturday.

Aiyuk is still a member of the San Francisco 49ers but remains on the team's reserve/left squad list (players who left the team for non-football reasons). Throughout the offseason, he has been petitioning the Commanders to trade for or sign him after he's reinstated. Apparently, he still hasn't filed the necessary paperwork.

As part of his campaign, he has posted several bizarre social media clips. His newest clip should only hurt his slim chances of landing in Washington. 

Brandon Aiyuk berates Commanders QB Jayden Daniels on social media 

Aiyuk directed multiple Instagram posts at Daniels on Saturday. The messages are likely tied to a clip of a fan yelling at the Commanders QB, "F--- Brandon Aiyuk," during a FIFA World Cup game. The signal-caller chuckled at the joke. 

"You on my team now. You follow my rules. Boy, I'm a grown a-- man, boy," Aiyuk said (h/t Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio). "You gonna have to stop running to your mama and I might believe what you're talking about. But until then, [no]."

Then, in what may have been an attempt to make amends, Aiyuk posted another video with no audio. He held a pair of shoes behind a graphic that said: "Let's run it 5! Let's see! Need you available all [season] and I'll do the same." 

That didn't work. The WR and QB subsequently unfollowed each other on Instagram. Daniels then posted an image of NBA star Kevin Durant with two thumbs down.

While it's unclear whether it was directed to Aiyuk, Daniels' post should still send a clear message to the Commanders: He doesn't want the team to add his former Arizona State Sun Devils teammate. That's completely understandable. 

"[Aiyuk] continues to nuke his job prospects at this point," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said Sunday on "SportsCenter" (h/t Bleacher Report's Doric Sam). "I've talked to several teams about Brandon Aiyuk, trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. Is there any sort of sound strategy he's employing here? And they can't think of anything other than it is just sort of insensible."

Why Commanders should avoid a Jayden Daniels-Brandon Aiyuk reunion 

Even before the social media tiff with Daniels, there was little incentive for the Commanders to trade for or sign Aiyuk as a free agent. The 2023 second-team All-Pro hasn't played since suffering an ACL/MCL/meniscus tear in his right knee in October 2024.

He may not be the same after the career-altering injury. Aiyuk rehabbed independently amid his ongoing feud with the 49ers. He may not have received the same level of care he would've with a well-trained NFL staff. 

And even if he were healthy, it would still be a mistake for the Commanders to add the WR. He's already beefing with the franchise QB. They may not immediately put it aside if they were to become teammates. That tension would potentially fracture the locker room.

The Commanders already have enough problems after going 5-12 and missing the playoffs last season. Throwing Aiyuk into the mix would create another.