The NFL offseason has been relatively quiet of late, as teams are getting prepared for training camp to begin. One player who has had a strange offseason is wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. He is still technically a part of the San Francisco 49ers, but their relationship is fractured beyond repair. Throughout last season, while Aiyuk was recovering from an ACL tear, he did so away from the team with limited communication. He refused to participate in team-mandated rehab, and as a result, the team voided much of his guaranteed money.
Once Aiyuk stopped showing up at the facility, the team had no choice but to place him on the Reserve/Left Squad list. Aiyuk has been outspoken this offseason about everything that has happened with the 49ers, and he has made it clear he will never play for them again.
Brandon Aiyuk Seeks Revenge Against 49ers
It remains to be seen where will Aiyuk play in 2026. He still needs to be officially released by the 49ers, but that should happen soon enough. One team that may be interested in Aiyuk is the Washington Commanders.
At least, he believes that it is a team he could be playing for this upcoming season. Aiyuk said on his YouTube page, “We is not cool, we will never be cool, and I will not be stepping in that building except for on October 19th, when I come through with that (expletive) belt.”
The October 19th date that Aiyuk is referring to is when the Commanders visit the 49ers. While nothing is set in stone, Aiyuk seems to firmly believe he will be a Commander by the time the season comes around.
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Aiyuk is still waiting for the 49ers to release him, and that will open the door for him to join the Commanders.
He already has a relationship with Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was at Arizona State when Aiyuk was there. Also, the Commanders could use some help at wide receiver with Terry McLaurin on their roster and a lot of question marks behind him.
The Commanders need a more explosive offense, and adding Aiyuk can go a long way in helping with that. There is still much to learn about Aiyuk, who has not played football since the first half of the 2024 season.
When he is on the field, he is usually an effective player, but it has been so long that he is a tough player to count on for the 2026 season.
