NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Crosby, Commanders, Aiyuk, Eagles
The Cowboys were aggressive in trade talks for Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby earlier this offseason, submitting multiple offers before ultimately falling short. Las Vegas agreed to send Crosby to Baltimore for two first-round picks, but the deal fell apart after the five-time Pro Bowler failed the Ravens’ physical. Crosby continues to pop up in trade rumors almost a month later, though Cowboys owner Jerry Jones does not expect to circle back (via Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS). “I don’t anticipate, standing here right now, revisiting that situation,” Jones said. “I don’t anticipate it. Is it possible? Yes.”
While Jones is not slamming the door on another Crosby pursuit, it is notable that Cowboys physician Dr. Dan Cooper raised concerns over the defender’s surgically repaired meniscus before he failed his physical. The Ravens consulted with the well-respected Cooper during the process. Unless Dallas does a 180 on Crosby, its best hope to upgrade its pass rush could be via the draft. The Cowboys are scheduled to pick 12th and 20th in the first round.
Here’s more on Dallas and a pair of NFC East rivals:
- Washington is considered the most likely destination for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, but San Francisco will have to release him first. The Commanders are not going to trade for Aiyuk, according to John Keim of ESPN. The 49ers are in no rush to cut Aiyuk, who is still tied to the four-year, $120MM extension he signed in August 2024. The team has gotten almost nothing from the deal, as Aiyuk has not played since suffering a knee injury that October. The 28-year-old is now coming off a bizarre season in which he distanced himself from the team during his recovery. The 49ers placed Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list in December. Odds are they will eventually cut him, but the Commanders are not going to bank on a release and “bypass other potential options,” Keim writes.
- Having lost Reed Blankenship to the Texans in free agency, the Eagles are down a starting safety to pair with Andrew Mukuba. Nickel cornerback Michael Carter II and safety Marcus Epps, whom the Eagles re-signed on the cheap, are among in-house options to fill the void. To no surprise, general manager Howie Roseman intends to address safety during the draft (via Brooks Kubena of The Athletic). “In some shape or form we will add at that position,” Roseman declared.
- Shifting back to Dallas, the team is in the market for a nickel cornerback, Jon Machota of The Athletic relays. No. 1 corner DaRon Bland has slot experience, including 200 snaps last year, but the Cowboys prefer to keep him on the outside. While Reddy Steward amassed 384 slot snaps in 2025, Pro Football Focus ranked his play a lackluster 99th among 112 qualifiers. Notably, the Cowboys have visited with Miami’s Keionte Scott, one of the highest-rated nickel CBs in this year’s draft class.
- The Cowboys will stage “an open competition” between backup quarterbacks Joe Milton and Sam Howell for the No. 2 job, head coach Brian Schottenheimer said (via Machota). The Cowboys sent a fifth-rounder to the Patriots for Milton and a seventh-rounder a year ago. Starter Dak Prescott went on to enjoy a healthy and productive campaign, which left little playing time for Milton. Howell, who joined the Cowboys on a one-year deal last month, was a 17-game starter in Washington in 2023. The 25-year-old has not made a start since then, and he didn’t even play a snap as a third-stringer in Philadelphia last season.
49ers Owner Hints Brandon Aiyuk Could Stick With Team
Back in January, 49ers GM John Lynch made it clear that Brandon Aiyuk had played his final snap for the franchise. However, the team’s owner seems to be walking back those statements.
While speaking with reporters today, Jed York acknowledged that the saga could take several different routes, including one that sees Aiyuk sticking with the 49ers in 2026.
“I think anything’s possible, right?” York said (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner). “We want to make sure that we have as talented of a roster as possible. First and foremost, he needs to get healthy and be able to perform. I think once that happens, he’s a really, really good football player.”
Aiyuk, of course, once showed off his talent in San Francisco, including 2022 and 2023 campaigns where he hauled in 153 total catches for 2,357 yards and 15 touchdowns. Those performances earned him a four-year, $120MM extension with the organization, but his subsequent 2024 campaign ended with only seven appearances after the WR suffered a torn ACL and MCL.
He landed on PUP to begin the 2025 campaign, and there was initial optimism that he’d make a late-season return to the lineup. Instead, Aiyuk was described as “extremely distant” during his rehab, leading to the 49ers making the drastic decision to void the remaining guarantees on his contract. Lynch later declared the end of Aiyuk’s tenure in San Francisco, and while the front office was hoping to make a trade, a release seemed like the likeliest path. The Commanders seemed like a logical landing spot considering the presence of Aiyuk’s former college QB, Jayden Daniels.
While the team did void the remaining guarantees on the player’s contract, there remains a crucial early-September option bonus. The WR is due a nearly $25MM bonus that, if picked up, would be prorated through 2030. If it isn’t exercised, then it would be owed all at once. As Wagoner notes, that would drive Aiyuk’s 2026 price to an untenable $26MM. The 49ers surely wouldn’t commit to that kind of meaning, and considering the wideout’s apparent issues with the organization, it seems unlikely he’d rework his deal. In other words, a divorce still seems like the likeliest path, regardless of York’s comments.
Either way, it doesn’t sound like this ordeal would somehow extend beyond September. While speaking with reporters today, Lynch still seems committed to getting rid of his former star WR.
“I don’t have a date for it, but I know eventually it’ll resolve itself,” Shanahan said. “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. Hopefully, we can get something for that, and it’ll take care of itself.”
Commanders Rumors: Pierce, Aiyuk
The Commanders were “aggressive” in their pursuit of Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce when the NFL’s legal negotiating window opened March 9, but he stayed put on a four-year, $114MM contract. It turns out he nearly ended up in Washington. Had Pierce reached the open market, he “absolutely” would have signed with the Commanders, a source told John Keim of ESPN.
After seemingly finishing second in the Pierce sweepstakes, Washington was the runner-up in the Romeo Doubs derby the next day. Doubs left the Packers for the Patriots’ four-year, $68MM pact, but the Commanders were reportedly “very close” to landing him.
While the Commanders still have not found a capable complement to No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin, they have bolstered their pass-catching group in adding former Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo and making modest investments at receiver (Dyami Brown, Treylon Burks, Van Jefferson). Impact options at the position continue to dwindle in free agency, though. Jauan Jennings and Deebo Samuel, who spent last season in Washington, are among the most appealing unsigned wideouts remaining.
Samuel led a banged-up Commanders receiving corps in catches (72), targets (99), yards (727) and touchdowns (five) last year, but he hasn’t drawn any known interest from Washington or elsewhere this offseason. The Commanders are expected to target one of Samuel’s former 49ers teammates, Brandon Aiyuk, though San Francisco will have to part with him first. While Aiyuk starred during his most recent full season in 2023, his stock has plummeted since then. As such, it is “unlikely” the Commanders will trade for Aiyuk or submit anything more than a one-year, prove-it offer if the 49ers release him, Keim writes.
In 2024, the first season of a four-year, $120MM contract, Aiyuk caught only 25 of 47 targets for 374 yards and no touchdowns before tearing his ACL and MCL in Week 7. He has not played since then.
While Aiyuk was on the mend from surgery last July, the 49ers voided the remaining guarantees on his deal because they were not happy with his rehab efforts. They eventually placed Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list in December, ending any chance he would play in 2025.
Delving into the Aiyuk drama as a guest on the Bussin’ with the Boys podcast this week, 49ers tight end George Kittle revealed (via Coach Yac): “The last time I saw Aiyuk, he was kinda at training camp, kinda not and then he was in and out of the building throughout the first couple of weeks. Then I started going out to see him in the weight room because he didn’t go into the locker room or the training room anymore. He would just go into the weight room to do his rehab. I would go there and talk to him because he didn’t go to meetings or anything like that. I would just talk to him and let him know ‘I’m your guy. Just letting you know I love ya’. I started doing that Week 6 and then a week later that story came out about all the crazy stuff and then I didn’t see him again.”
Although Aiyuk has the talent to revive his career, it is no surprise that the Commanders and the rest of the league are wary of trading for him or handing over a sizable contract. But whether it’s Aiyuk or someone else, it would be ideal for Washington to find another starting-level receiver this offseason. General manager Adam Peters has come up empty in his efforts so far.
49ers Plan To Release Brandon Aiyuk; Commanders Most Likely Landing Spot?
The Brandon Aiyuk saga is nearing an end in San Francisco. The 49ers plan to release the wide receiver, Nick Wagoner of ESPN reports. The team could cut Aiyuk as early as today, per Wagoner, who points to the Commanders as his most likely landing spot.
A 49er since they spent the 25th pick on him in 2020, Aiyuk immediately became a key part of head coach Kyle Shanahan‘s offense. During his best season, 2023, Aiyuk hauled in 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns to earn second-team All-Pro honors. A lengthy contract standoff between Aiyuk and the 49ers occurred during the next offseason.
Unable to reach a deal, San Francisco had an Aiyuk trade in place with Pittsburgh in August 2024. However, after the Steelers’ extension offer for Aiyuk fell short, he agreed to stay with the 49ers two weeks later.
The 49ers kept Aiyuk around with a four-year, $120MM proposal that included $76MM in guarantees, but they will end up receiving little to nothing from the investment. Over his first seven games in 2024, Aiyuk caught just 25 of 47 targets for 374 yards and no scores. His season ended with a torn ACL and MCL in Week 7. Aiyuk has not suited up since then.
While Aiyuk was recovering from his injury last July, the 49ers voided the remaining guarantees on his contract. The team had issues with his rehab effort, and Shanahan revealed that Aiyuk was “extremely distant” during the process. Aiyuk could have filed a grievance against the 49ers through the NFLPA, but he let the 50-day window expire and lost over $26MM.
With Aiyuk still on the reserve/PUP list at the beginning of December, general manager John Lynch expressed hope that he would return down the stretch. Any chance of that vanished when the 49ers put the 27-year-old on the reserve/left squad list on Dec. 13. Lynch said in late January that the 49ers would move on from Aiyuk this offseason, though he has held out for a trade. With the new league year commencing Wednesday afternoon, it does not appear Lynch will find a taker for Aiyuk.
If the 49ers designate Aiyuk a post-June 1 release, they will spread almost $35MM in dead money over the next two seasons ($13.33MM in 2026, $21.25MM in ’27). The team will save $1.32MM on next year’s cap, though those funds will not be available until June.
Once he reaches the open market, Aiyuk will immediately become one of the most talented players available. However, considering the bizarre turn his 49ers tenure took, the 6-foot, 200-pounder will likely have to settle for a short-term contract.
For multiple reasons, Washington has stood out as an obvious Aiyuk fit for months. The team is cognizant of how much he wants to play there, according to John Keim of ESPN. Aiyuk would reunite with Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels seven years after the two established a rapport at Arizona State in 2019. Adam Peters, now the Commanders’ GM, was in the 49ers’ front office when they drafted Aiyuk a year later.
With the Commanders in need of receivers beyond No. 1 option Terry McLaurin, Peters has been aggressive on this year’s market. Peters tried to sign Alec Pierce and Romeo Doubs before they reeled in lucrative paydays elsewhere. Having come up empty in those pursuits, Peters could turn his attention to Aiyuk soon.
49ers Holding Out Hope For Brandon Aiyuk Trade, In Talks With Jauan Jennings
Brandon Aiyuk will not be a 49er in 2026. John Lynch confirmed that last month. For now, though, the former All-Pro wide receiver remains on San Francisco’s roster and will be part of it for a bit longer.
Lynch said from the Combine that Aiyuk will remain with the team until the start of the league year (March 11), indicating (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows) a trade will be sought. The Combine serves as an annual venue to gauge trade interest, and Lynch plans to do so with Aiyuk.
Although the 49ers’ options are limited here, they could hope for late-round compensation — perhaps from a team not confident in luring the seventh-year veteran in free agency. The 49ers worked with Aiyuk during his 2024 trade saga, and he had multiple destinations — Cleveland, New England — he preferred to avoid then. It does not seem like the team would do the disgruntled wideout any favors, though a team trading for Aiyuk’s contract would need assurances he would be content with such a move — especially after the events of the past year.
The 49ers voided Aiyuk’s guarantees last July, representing rarely traversed terrain for a player who did not incur a suspension. Issues with Aiyuk’s rehab effort triggered that decision, and Kyle Shanahan said he was unable to reach the 27-year-old pass catcher after a certain point. That led to his placement on the reserve/left squad list.
Due to bonus proration, an Aiyuk trade would cost the 49ers $29.59MM in dead money. They were tagged with a receiver-record $34.12MM in dead cap from the Deebo Samuel trade. With the 49ers only receiving a fifth-round pick for Samuel, the upcoming Aiyuk trade/release will mark a disappointing ending for the team with its long-running wideout tandem.
It would seem the 49ers will need to release Aiyuk, who has missed 1 1/2 seasons due to an ACL tear suffered in October 2024. Aiyuk did not suffer a clean tear, and his strange 2025 course creates questions for teams as well. After being rather deep at receiver for a while, the 49ers were low on bodies there in 2025. They have more questions to answer as free agency nears.
Jauan Jennings is unsigned after receiving only an incentive package last year. The 28-year-old pass catcher has overachieved as a former seventh-round pick, and this offseason represents his window to cash in. After expressing interest in re-signing Jennings, Lynch said the team has spoken with the free agent-to-be. Though, the 49ers will gauge his market at the Combine. Their exclusive negotiating window expires March 9 when the legal tampering period begins.
After a 975-yard 2024 season, Jennings produced 643 yards — to go with a career-high nine touchdown receptions — last season. With Aiyuk shelved and Ricky Pearsall regularly unavailable, the 49ers relied on Jennings. After signing his two-year, $11.89MM extension when he was the team’s WR3 alongside Aiyuk and Samuel, he could return as San Francisco’s top wideout. Though, the 49ers will certainly be looking at outside help at this position.
Wide receiver is not the only place housing priority free agents. Kicker Eddy Pineiro is also unsigned. While the kicker/punter tag is the cheapest available, Lynch said (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur) the in-season signee will not be tagged.
The 49ers are interested in re-signing Pineiro, who became the team’s Jake Moody replacement. Pineiro, 30, made 28 of 29 field goals in his 14-game San Francisco season. He led the NFL in make rate. OverTheCap projects the kicker/punter tag to come in around $7MM. The 49ers will look to re-sign Pineiro at a lower rate.
Lynch: Brandon Aiyuk Done With 49ers
The 49ers not only were missing three first-team All-Pro talents — George Kittle, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner — to close the season, but they played the full 2025 slate without former second-team All-Pro Brandon Aiyuk. A divorce is now imminent.
Long expected to move on from the talented wideout, the 49ers will soon make it official. John Lynch said Wednesday (via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner) “it is safe to say” Aiyuk has played his final snap with the franchise.
Aiyuk landed on the team’s reserve/left squad list weeks ago, after Kyle Shanahan said the mercurial pass catcher has been “extremely distant” since his October 2024 ACL tear. Aiyuk’s approach to rehabbing that injury led the 49ers to take the ultra-rare step of voiding his future guarantees; that happened back in July, though it was not known until November. This came after Aiyuk’s return timetable continued to be pushed back, burning a full season — Aiyuk’s age-27 campaign — for a highly valued player.
After five seasons rolling out the Aiyuk-Deebo Samuel combo, the 49ers will separate from both in a two-offseason span. Although no money is guaranteed beyond 2025, Aiyuk will still tag the 49ers with nearly $30MM in cap penalties due to void years and option bonuses included in his four-year, $120MM contract. This comes after the Samuel trade tagged San Francisco with a receiver-record $34.12MM in dead cap. The Samuel money is off the books now, however, since that trade came before June 1 of last year.
When Aiyuk signed his $30MM-per-year deal, he locked in $45MM at signing. A $26.15MM 2026 guarantee vested in April 2025, but the 49ers have voided that. It is extraordinarily rare for a non-suspension to void guarantees. Aiyuk’s injury and disappearance will obviously hurt his value for 2026. Although interested parties will emerge, anything close to a $30MM-per-year deal appears unlikely. It might take a “prove it” pact, and going into an age-28 season, Aiyuk is running short on time to move back into a commanding leverage position. It remains strange he proceeded as he did, with Lynch also expressing confusion (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur) at the wideout’s decisions.
Furthermore, Shanahan said (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows) Aiyuk ended all communication by not returning any phone calls from 49ers staffers. The veteran coach said he had not seen that happen in 22 years in the business. While Aiyuk may not have torched his value on a Diontae Johnson level, it remains befuddling he proceeded as he did given the guaranteed money in his contract.
The Commanders and Steelers are believed to be interested parties, though the report of Pittsburgh interest came before it was known Mike Tomlin would resign. Tomlin represented the driving force behind the Aiyuk-Steelers near-trade in 2024. Aiyuk would have signed off on a Washington trade to reunite with college teammate Jayden Daniels, but the Commanders did not express significant interest in a trade/extension.
A release is expected, though a late-November report indicated a trade is not entirely off the table. It would still come as a surprise. If the 49ers designate Aiyuk as a post-June 1 cut, the team could save more than $6MM in cap space while incurring barely $8MM in dead money this year. That would seemingly be the way this ends, considering the six-year veteran’s value drop since his severe knee injury.
Aiyuk did not suffer a clean ACL tear, and the 49ers did not expect him back until midway through this season. As recently as early December, the team was hoping for a return. But nothing happened. The two-time 1,000-yard receiver will be looking to bounce back with another team, and an open-market trip would be interesting.
The 49ers seeing Ricky Pearsall miss eight games and Jauan Jennings on track for free agency will make receiver a central need in 2026. The team would like to re-sign Jennings, Shanahan said (via Tafur). Jennings, 28, was not as effective as 2024, when he totaled 975 yards. That drove a push for a new contract, and the 49ers did provide incentives as a compromise. Jennings caught 55 passes for 643 yards, though he did finish with a career-high nine touchdown grabs. He did cash in a $600K incentive for playoff participation, CBS Sports’ Joel Corry tweets.
San Francisco has Pearsall and Demarcus Robinson in the picture at receiver for 2026, necessitating multiple additions to Brock Purdy‘s weaponry cadre — especially with Kittle rehabbing an Achilles tear.
Kyle Shanahan: Brandon Aiyuk Has Been ‘Extremely Distant’ Since Injury
The 49ers placed wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list last week, raising significant questions about his future in San Francisco.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has since revealed more details about the strained relationship between Aiyuk and the 49ers. He said (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows) that Aiyuk has been “extremely distant” since his ACL injury in Week 7 of the 2024 season. That estrangement only grew this year; at the time of his move to the left squad list, the team had not heard from Aiyuk in over a month, per The Athletic’s Vic Tafur.
Shanahan’s revelations add even more confusion into a drawn-out saga with Aiyuk that, including his contract standoff last offseason, has taken up virtually all of the last two years. The team believed that the four-year, $120MM extension would ease tensions with its star wideout, but Aiyuk’s somewhat slow start to the 2024 season and subsequent injury put the two sides at odds once again. The complete disconnect, though, is remarkable, given that the 49ers did eventually bow to Aiyuk’s demands and sign him to a massive contract.
San Francisco already voided the remaining guarantees on Aiyuk’s contract, which makes it financially easier to trade him. However, other teams may be hoping that the 49ers release him instead to end the situation as quickly as possible. That would allow them to sign Aiyuk at a much cheaper rate than his current contract. Aiyuk may also be angling for the same outcome so he can pick his next destination.
More light has also been shed on another complicated 49ers injury situation. Quarterback Brock Purdy missed Weeks 2 and 3 with turf toe and an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. He returned in Week 4 and played the entire game, but re-aggravated his toe in the process. Purdy was then sidelined for six more games, though he was not placed on injured reserve. His recovery was marked by intermittent practices and consistent uncertainty about his return timeline.
As it turns out, the 49ers intentionally slow-played Purdy’s return. He sought several medical opinions on his toe, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, and every doctor told him that surgery was not necessary. The 49ers opted to take a cautious approach with Purdy’s recovery to make sure that the issue did not linger for the rest of the season.
That plan seems to have worked out. The 49ers did not exactly thrive in Purdy’s absence, but Mac Jones kept the offense afloat. San Francisco alternated wins and losses until Purdy returned to the field in Week 11. Since then, they have won four straight games and are currently the NFC’s No. 2 wild card team. With Purdy back in the fold, the 49ers might be peaking at the right time to finish the season strong, secure a playoff spot, and go on a run in the postseason.
49ers Unlikely To Trade WR Brandon Aiyuk; Steelers Among Potential Suitors?
With Brandon Aiyuk having been moved to the reserve/left squad list, it is highly likely he has played his final game as a 49er. The veteran wideout’s future will presumably not include time spent in San Francisco in 2026, but it remains to be seen where his next NFL gig will come from. 
A trade could of course be worked out in this case. Since the 49ers voided future guarantees in Aiyuk’s contract, the pact should be much easier to absorb than it otherwise would have been. Still, interested teams would much prefer to add Aiyuk as a free agent rather than parting with draft capital to acquire a player known to be on the way out. To no surprise, then, Matt Barrows of The Athletic predicts (subscription required) the 49ers will proceed with a release this spring.
Per Barrows, Aiyuk is still held in high regard by his teammates despite the way things have unfolded in his case. That puts the 27-year-old in a different situation than someone like De’Vondre Campbell, whose standing with the team unraveled when he refused to re-enter a game in Week 15 last season. Nevertheless, Aiyuk’s relationship with the organization has been the subject of speculation dating back to contentions extension talks in 2024. Provided he is released, it will be interesting to see how many suitors pursue Aiyuk coming off a full season spent on the sidelines.
It was reported last week the Commanders are among the teams which can be expected to show interest on that front. A reunion between Aiyuk and former Arizona State teammate Jayden Daniels would certainly not come as a surprise. Indeed, Barrows points to Washington as one of the likeliest landing spots for Aiyuk. He adds Pittsburgh as a team to watch regarding an Aiyuk deal.
The Steelers were long mentioned as a contender to acquire the former second-team All-Pro prior to his extension being signed. Pittsburgh and San Francisco engaged in trade talks to the point where an agreement was reached between the teams. Aiyuk himself ended the possibility of a Steelers swap by informing the 49ers of his desire to stay. His four-year, $120MM extension was finalized immediately thereafter. Pittsburgh has since acquired and extended D.K. Metcalf, but otherwise the WR position remains a question mark for the team.
Aiyuk has only made seven appearances since signing that pact. His knee injury (which included ACL, MCL and meniscus tears) has resulted in an absence which stretched through the second half of last season and all of the current campaign. A return to action in time for 2026 should be expected, but a short list of serious suitors could emerge if/when he hits the open market.
49ers Place WR Brandon Aiyuk On Reserve/Left Squad List
If there were any chance at reconciliation between the 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk before today, it’s likely gone now. Today, San Francisco placed the former first-round pick on the reserve/left squad list, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports. As a result, he will be ineligible to play for the remainder of the season, making an offseason departure all the more likely.
Aiyuk hasn’t played since tearing his right ACL, MCL, and meniscus in Week 7 of 2024. The injury came a couple of months after he signed a four-year, $120MM extension with the 49ers. The relationship between the two sides has fallen apart since then.
[RELATED: Aiyuk On Commanders’ Radar?]
Aiyuk didn’t attend offseason appointments to rehab his knee in the offseason, leading the 49ers to void his 2026 guarantees last July. And while Aiyuk had a 50-day window to file a grievance through the NFLPA, he didn’t take any action during that span. He lost out on over $26MM as a result.
Still recovering from last year’s injury, Aiyuk spent the season on the reserve/PUP list before today. Earlier this month, general manager John Lynch expressed hope that the team would open Aiyuk’s practice window at some point soon. Doing so would have given the playoff-contending 49ers 21 days to evaluate Aiyuk. That will not happen, though, and this will go down as a lost season for Aiyuk.
The placement on reserve/left squad list is a unique one, usually reserved for players who plan to retire or quit on their team. In addition to all of the money Aiyuk has already lost throughout this season-long saga, Jason Fitzgerald of Overthecap.com claims that the 49ers may be allowed to go after Aiyuk’s signing and option bonus money in the wake of how things have now played out.
There was already plenty of speculation that Aiyuk’s time in the Bay Area was coming to an end, but this all but confirms it. Whether through offseason trade or an outright release, it’s just hard to picture Aiyuk playing in red and gold again.
In addition to the transaction that effectively ended Aiyuk’s tenure in San Francisco, the 49ers also announced that linebacker Jalen Graham and defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez would serve as standard gameday practice squad elevations for tomorrow’s game. This will be Graham’s third and final elevation of the season. If the team wants to see him play in another game this year, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Commanders To Pursue WR Brandon Aiyuk In Offseason?
Earlier this month, 49ers general manager John Lynch expressed hope that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk would come off the reserve/PUP list to play sometime this season. Almost two weeks later, optimism on that front “seems to have run out,” Dianna Russini of The Athletic writes.
Aiyuk hasn’t played in a game since he tore his right ACL, MCL, and meniscus in Week 7 of 2024. He suffered the injury a couple of months after landing a four-year, $120MM extension.
After Aiyuk failed to attend offseason appointments to rehab his knee, the 49ers made the eye-opening move to void his 2026 guarantees last summer. Barring an unforeseen turnaround in their relationship, the two sides are likely headed for a divorce in the offseason.
The 49ers could attempt to find a trade partner for Aiyuk, but with his stock way down, it may be difficult. Whether the 49ers trade or release Aiyuk before June 1, they’d be left with $29.85MM in dead money. Parting with him after June 1 would allow San Francisco to spread the dead cap over two years. Aiyuk would count $13.25MM against the team’s cap in that scenario.
As for where Aiyuk might play next, Washington is a team to monitor. The belief is that Aiyuk would like to reunite with Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, Dan Graziano of ESPN reports. The two formed an excellent combination at Arizona State in 2019. Aiyuk caught 65 passes for 1,192 yards and eight touchdowns en route to First-Team All-Pac-12 honors that year. The 49ers drafted him 25th overall during the ensuing spring.
Not only is Aiyuk familiar with Daniels, but it’s worth noting Commanders general manager Adam Peters was a key figure in the 49ers’ front office during the first four years of the wideout’s career. Peters is likely to hunt for offensive weapons in the wake of a disappointing season for the Commanders, which could lead to interest in Aiyuk. After advancing all the way to the NFC championship game last season, the injury-plagued Commanders will miss the playoffs this year. At 3-10, they’re on pace to draft in the top 10 next spring.
Terry McLaurin will return as Washington’s No. 1 receiver next year. However, Deebo Samuel (a former Aiyuk teammate in San Francisco) and Noah Brown are scheduled to reach free agency. Tight end Zach Ertz, one of the team’s leading receivers this year, is also unsigned beyond this season. The 35-year-old tore his ACL last week, further clouding his future.
Even if the Commanders bring any of their soon-to-be free agent pass catchers back, outside additions are likely. Daniels should be in position to rebound in 2026 if he stays healthy, which he hasn’t done this year, and has more talent surrounding him. Partnering with Aiyuk again could lead to a bounce-back campaign for both players, which would boost the Commanders’ chances of returning to playoff contention after a forgettable 2025.