Brandon Aiyuk’s situation with the San Francisco 49ers is becoming clearer, but not quite as people expected. For a while, many believed the Washington Commanders would act fast once he was on the market. However, San Francisco isn’t looking to just let him go that easily. Instead, they’re considering trade possibilities and aren’t rushing to make a decision, even as a timeline starts to take shape. The Athletic’s Vic Tafur and Matt Barrows say that the 49ers could drag this situation out until the summer.

According to Vic Tafur and Matt Barrows, the 49ers have no real financial obligation to Aiyuk until his option bonus comes due on September 1. That single date is the entire clock the team is working against. Until then, San Francisco can afford to be patient by fielding trade calls, weighing options, and letting the market develop after the NFL Draft.

“Why would the 49ers do a team that they compete with a favor by handing Aiyuk over for free now? Perhaps they’ll release him after the draft if they can’t find a suitor by then. But San Francisco can wait much longer if it wants to—the team doesn’t owe Aiyuk anything until his option bonus is due Sept. 1,” wrote Matt Barrows.

To understand why the 49ers have this leverage, you have to go back to the moment the relationship began to unravel. Aiyuk tore his ACL, MCL, and meniscus in his right knee during a Week 7 game against the Kansas City Chiefs in October 2024. That was bad enough on its own. But Shanahan has since revealed that the friction between Aiyuk and the organization also started after that injury. The team tried to get him involved in their rehab program in the offseason, and from early on, those efforts ran into resistance.

By the summer of 2025, things had escalated to a point of no return. The 49ers voided approximately $27 million in guaranteed money that had been built into Aiyuk’s 2026 contract after he missed team-mandated rehab sessions. Failing to participate in required rehabilitation qualifies as a breach of contract conditions, grounds similar to what the Las Vegas Raiders used when they voided Christian Wilkins’s guarantees in a comparable situation. 

Crucially, Aiyuk has not filed a grievance with the NFL Players Association challenging the voiding, which may confirm whatever the team says he did or didn’t do. 

Now, with the guarantees gone, the 49ers’ financial exposure is defined but manageable. If they release Aiyuk outright, they absorb a $29.585 million dead-money cap hit. If they wait until after June 1 and release him as a post-June 1 designation, they can spread that over two years. The same math applies to a trade. That means the 49ers have every incentive to hold out for a draft pick or two rather than just cutting him and eating the full dead money immediately with nothing to show for it.

Brandon Aiyuk’s Commanders buzz keeps building

In their report, Vic Tafur and Matt Barrows mentioned Brandon Aiyuk again, suggesting that Washington could be a great match for him. They highlighted some strong ties that might influence his next steps.

“The Commanders seem like the best team to pick up Aiyuk because he knows Peters from their time with the 49ers and has a connection with quarterback Jayden Daniels from their days at Arizona State,” Barrows explained while sharing what to expect.

Clearly, this idea is important for the Burgundy and Gold. If Aiyuk joins Terry McLaurin, it would create a powerful duo for the offense. This would also take some pressure off McLaurin and give Daniels more opportunities to go after defenses that can’t focus on just one player anymore.

There’s also a personal side to this connection. Aiyuk is familiar with Adam Peters from their time together with the Niners, which makes him feel more at ease than most players would. Still, any agreement needs to be wise, because the Commanders would have to absorb Aiyuk’s remaining contract.

Reflecting on Aiyuk’s journey, it’s clear why teams are still interested in him. Since he was drafted 25th overall in 2020, he’s made 294 catches for 4,305 yards. He also had two straight seasons with over 1,000 yards in 2022 and 2023, showing he can be a dependable player in a strong offense.

However, there are some concerns with this decision. He hasn’t participated in a significant game since Week 7 of the 2024 season, which brings up doubts about his timing and performance.

Still, his past chemistry with Daniels could help smooth that transition if Washington decides to take the chance.