The expectation has been that the Washington Commanders would sign Brandon Aiyuk once he's cut loose by the San Francisco 49ers.
However, the 49ers appear intent on trading the veteran wide receiver after making it clear they are "in no rush" to cut the wideout, something head coach Kyle Shanahan said at the owners meeting this week.
"I don't have a date for it, but I know eventually it'll resolve itself," Shanahan told the media at the NFL owners meeting this week.
"Hopefully, we could get something for [him]. And I know we're in no rush to do that. You've got to do what's right for the Niners, and you're not trying to hook up any other team as fast as you possibly can."
That presents a problem for the Commanders who, according to ESPN's John Keim, have no interest in trading for Aiyuk, even with their dire need at wide receiver.
It's understandable why, as Aiyuk remains a total wild card after not having played a snap in the NFL since 2024, and after all of his issues with the Niners in 2025.
Adding to that, even though it would only cost a late Day 3 pick to acquire Aiyuk, trading one of those selections in 2026 would leave the Commanders with five picks, a tiny stable for a team looking to get younger.
Brandon Aiyuk unlikely to be traded?
But Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer is highly skeptical that the Niners will be able to trade Aiyuk, simply because teams know San Francisco will have to cut him at some point.
"So I’d say there’s a remote, remote chance of a trade, with the likelihood remaining that he’ll be cut, because teams that might be interested in bringing him in know the Niners would eventually be forced to let him go (and they can easily do so whenever after his guarantees for 2026, which encompassed the full $27 million, were voided last year)," Breer said.
A trade is the only real threat the Commanders have when it comes to landing Aiyuk, who could take up the No. 2 wide receiver role behind Terry McLaurin.
Aiyuk has a strong connection to Washington via Adam Peters, who was with him in San Francisco, and through quarterback Jayden Daniels, who Aiyuk was teammates with at Arizona State.
While that's all well and good, the Commanders cannot sit on their hands and wait for Aiyuk. Washington needs to go out and make a significant move at wide receiver, and we'd feel the same way even if Aiyuk was already signed.
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