2026 was looking bleak for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Given how the past two years have turned out for him, and his fractured relationship with the team, it looked like he had hit a dead end. However, a conference rival might have thrown him a lifebuoy to get him out of this trouble.

“Stop the cap (in emojis), the gig is up,” Brandon Aiyuk shared on his Instagram story, while wearing a Washington Commanders cap.

The Commanders have long been predicted as a possible landing spot for the WR. The team still needs a solid receiver to pair with WR1 Terry McLaurin and bolster the offense led by quarterback Jayden Daniels. Wide receiver depth has been a nagging problem for the Commanders, and veteran Deebo Samuels is still a free agent.

Aiyuk and the QB also played together at Arizona State, where the WR crossed the 1,100-yard mark while catching passes from Daniels. This is a big reason why the WR was predicted to land here.

During an appearance on the Football 301 podcast in February, Daniels suggested that his front office look at “people from Arizona State,” before describing Aiyuk as a “brother.”

Another reason behind Washington being a potential suitor for Brandon Aiyuk is General Manager Adam Peters, who worked as an assistant general manager in San Francisco. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said that he expected the Commanders to have “significant interest” in signing the WR after he was released.

As valuable Aiyuk could be to Washington, he will also come with some glaring red flags. He hasn’t played a game since he injured his knee in the 2024 season, and has also sparked controversy with his behavior in the building. According to Jeremy Fowler, Aiyuk has ghosted the 9ers many times during his rehab. And the team also had to void the guaranteed 2026 money the WR was getting per the $120 million extension he signed in 2024.

Fowler also noted that Aiyuk was practically “untradeable,” perhaps because of one very glaring problem.

Washington Commanders will have to deal with Brandon Aiyuk’s legal trouble

Regardless of where the WR goes, his time with the 49ers is over.

Aiyuk currently has an arrest warrant in his name after a speeding incident in 2025. He was seen going well over the speed limit outside Levi’s Stadium, reportedly in the three-digit figures, which is a misdemeanor in California. Aiyuk downplayed the incident on social media, saying that he was just going around a race track, and the backlash was mostly from people who were angry at him ditching the 49ers.

But according to The Team 980’s Kevin Sheehan, this attitude is exactly what the 49ers should be wary about.

“I’m assuming that if [the Commanders] ever signed him, he’s physically fit, and that the knee recovered perfectly, and he’s ready to go physically,” he says. “But the thing that just constantly comes up is this guy has terrible judgment. Limited, clearly.”

After injuries, contract drama, and off-field issues, San Francisco is becoming eager to dust their hands off Aiyuk. But is Washington getting a good deal out of the WR? We’ll have to wait and watch.