The San Francisco 49ers are expected to release wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk at some point soon, and rumor has it he's going to land with the Washington Commanders.
According to CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones, it's not a matter of if Aiyuk will sign with the Commanders, but when. Jones adds that Aiyuk is expected to sign a one-year contract with Washington.
In terms of how this impacts the Commanders' search for wide receiver help, Jones says that Washington is not counting on Aiyuk to be the WR2 behind their WR1, Terry McLaurin.
"When the 49ers release Brandon Aiyuk and he signs with the Commanders, the expectation it will be a one-year deal," Jones reported. Washington isn’t putting their WR2 eggs in his basket though. It’s a move that will come with risk."
Earlier in the day, 49ers beat writer and ESPN's Nick Wagoner reported that the Niners will indeed release Aiyuk, and that could come as soon as Wednesday.
And, like Jones, Wagoner says Aiyuk is likely bound for Washington.
The risk with Aiyuk comes from the fact that he didn't play at all last season because he was recovering from a torn ACL.
In fact, Aiyuk hasn't taken the field since October 2024, so there's no telling what he'll be able to provide next season.
But the hope is that a reunion with his college teammate, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, will help Aiyuk revive his career.
In the wide receiver market, the Commanders' options are dwindling in free agency.
Their own pending free agent, Deebo Samuel, might be the best bet for the Commanders right now, barring an interesting trade option popping up.
Some other wide receivers available include Tyreek Hill, Jauan Jennings, Darnell Mooney and Christian Kirk.
While Hill could end up being the best on that list, he's also recovering from a major knee injury and there's no telling what his status for 2026 is.
Jennings is another intriguing option and has a connection with general manager Adam Peters from their days together in San Francisco.
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