The Brandon Aiyuk saga just keeps getting more confusing by the day. As a very public divorce with the San Francisco 49ers continues to play out, the veteran wide receiver has made his desire to play for the Washington Commanders clearly evident.
However, his latest shots were focused on who could be his new quarterback: Jayden Daniels. Aiyuk and Daniels are former college teammates and good friends, so it was a bit surprising to see him taking shots at the quarterback. Now, one NFL insider isn’t convinced that the beef between Aiyuk and Daniels is real.
Brandon Aiyuk, Jayden Daniels Feud Might Be for Show
Over the past month, the divorce between Aiyuk and the 49ers has been a very public affair. He currently remains on the reserve/left squad list, where he was placed near the end of 2025, and a change of scenery seems inevitable.
The Commanders looked like the obvious choice for that change, as the former All-Pro receiver kept pointing to his affinity for the franchise on social media. However, that ship may have sailed on Saturday.
Aiyuk publicly called out Daniels, refusing to fall in line with the quarterback’s rules and saying that the Commanders quarterback needed to “start running behind yo mama.” The comments didn’t sit well with the Daniels, who fired back on social media with a meme of NBA legend Kevin Durant giving the thumbs-down. The two players also unfollowed each other. This all started because a fan yelled “[expletive] Brandon Aiyuk” at Daniels, who laughed. Aiyuk made it clear that he didn’t appreciate how Daniels reacted.
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However, NFL insider Benjamin Allbright isn’t sure that the two sides have any real beef between them. Taking to X, he wrote, “You all are getting played by a fake BA/JD beef, it’s all an act.”
It’s unclear if Allbright has actual knowledge of the ongoings behind the scenes or if this was strictly speculation. The fact that the entire exchange is taking place publicly on the internet has added some uncertainty to Aiyuk’s future.
At least on paper, the move to Washington would make a ton of sense for both parties. After a mediocre start to the 2024 season before he tore his ACL and MCL and missed the entire 2025 campaign, Aiyuk needs to reestablish his value on the field.
The Commanders, who were the No. 4 offense in the league according to PFSN’s Offense Impact Score in Daniels’ rookie season, could give Aiyuk the perfect system to find his rhythm. Washington needs a WR2 and Aiyuk’s past ties to Daniels make this a perfect fit.
Outside of an excellent first option in Terry McLaurin, the Commanders don’t have a ton of proven names on the roster for their Daniels to throw the ball to. If Aiyuk can regain some semblance of the form that led to back-to-back 1,000-yard, 7+ touchdown seasons, then he could be a game-changer for them.
However, if this beef is actually real, he may have just burnt a bridge with one of the last people remaining in his corner.
