It’s obvious that Brandon Aiyuk’s days with the San Francisco 49ers are over, but that doesn’t mean his career in the NFL is just yet.
If the veteran receiver can show that he still has the ability to perform the way he did three years ago, now at age 28, there could certainly be teams interested in his services. One of those teams is the Washington Commanders. However, first, Aiyuk’s legal situation, as well as his situation with the 49ers, has to play out in the right manner.
Brandon Aiyuk To the Commanders Seems Far Away At This Point
Aiyuk had a very strong rookie and sophomore year with the 49ers after being a first-round draft pick in 2020. He collected at least 56 receptions for 748 yards and five touchdowns each season before breaking out in 2022.
The former Arizona State Sun Devil put together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with 15 total touchdowns in 2022 and 2023. But it’s been downhill since then for the five-year veteran.
Aiyuk hasn’t played since the 2024 season, has made it clear he wants nothing to do with his current team, and now has a warrant out for his arrest. The arrest warrant is for a misdemeanor (speeding), so the wideout needs to handle that situation first, and then he can get back to football.
But the receiver’s route back to football is a bit convoluted. As The Athletic’s Commanders senior writer Barry Svrluga noted in a recent report, Aiyuk first has to show up to a 49ers offseason workout so San Francisco can release or trade him, and then other teams will need time to evaluate where the receiver is physically.
“Don’t assume Aiyuk will be a Commander if and when the 49ers cut him,” Svrluga wrote. “There are just too many unknowns. And that was even before a warrant was issued in California for Aiyuk’s arrest on Wednesday on a misdemeanor charge of ‘exhibition of speed.'”
Svrluga added that the most important aspect of the whole situation is Aiyuk’s mental state and what he still wants with his career. Then, it’s up to other teams, like the Commanders, to determine if he’s football-ready to be an impact player.
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“It’s reasonable to wonder, given the severity of Aiyuk’s injury, how effective he could be as a receiver at 28 with a rebuilt knee,” Svrluga wrote. “Given the questions about his body and mind, Aiyuk needs to be with a team during the offseason, showing his physical form and his commitment.
“Yet every day he’s still on the 49ers’ roster is a day he’s not with his new team, be it the Commanders or someone else, learning and fitting into a new system. That can’t help.”
In his last fully healthy season, Aiyuk, according to PFSN’s WR Impact Metric, posted an impact score of 92.7, ranking fourth in the league.
Washington’s current starting receivers are projected to be Terry McLaurin, Luke McCaffrey, and Antonio Williams. Any version of Aiyuk during his first four years in the NFL would be an obvious upgrade, and slot is as the No. 2, if not No. 1, receiver on the team.
However, getting that version of Aiyuk isn’t a given right now.
