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One of the offseason storylines now that free agency and the draft are in the rear-view mirror is when the Brandon Aiyuk and San Francisco 49ers situation will have a conclusion.

The Niners are standing firm on their desire to trade Aiyuk. Nonetheless, no team has stepped up to trade for the wideout so far this offseason. As a result, the situation is at a standstill.

A team that’s in the speculation mill for Aiyuk is the Washington Commanders, given the wide receiver’s connection with Jayden Daniels due to their days at Arizona State together.

Although this situation is at a standstill, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport put together a trade pitch that would see Aiyuk head to Washington and the 49ers receive compensation for the player. In his trade idea, Davenport has the Niners receiving a 2027 fifth-round pick while the Commanders receive the wideout and a 2027 sixth-round pick.

“It’s no secret that the San Francisco 49ers want to be rid of wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk,” Davenport wrote in a May 21 article. “Aiyuk missed 10 games in 2024 with a torn ACL. Spent the 2025 season recuperating from that injury. And spent 2026 away from the Niners after his relationship with the team disintegrated.

“Aiyuk also carries a cap hit of $13.7 million in 2026 and $41.4 million in 2027. That is not ideal. Granted, Aiyuk was a 1,000-yard receiver in 2022 and 2023. But the 49ers have to know at this point that any return in a trade will be minimal.”

49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk Will Have to Settle If He’s Release

Moreover, as far as the contract, Davenport believes that Aiyuk will need to settle for whatever amount the Commanders are willing to give him, should they land him via his release and not a trade, considering he hasn’t played since 2024.

“Aiyuk is going to have to be realistic about his contract as well—if he gets released, he’s going to get less on the open market than he would on a restructured deal,” Davenport added in his article.

“If the parties involved can face those realities, a Washington Commanders team that needs wideout help opposite Terry McLaurin makes sense as a trade partner, especially since Aiyuk played with Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels at Arizona State.

It will be interesting to see whether the Aiyuk situation is resolved through a release or trade, but for now, it appears the 49ers are standing firm.

Insider Questions Whether Washington Move Will Happen

However, even if Aiyuk is released, he might not end up with the Commanders. NFL insider Jordan Schultz is pushing back, saying Aiyuk could end up in Washington if the 49ers finally decide to cut him.

“Obviously, [Aiyuk is] not in the building, and they don’t really have to do anything right now,” Schultz said on the May 20 edition of “Yahoo Sports Daily.” “It’s been like that for a while. I remember asking someone in that building, ‘Hey, do you think you’ll trade him during the draft? ‘ And it’s been the same answer: ‘Maybe, probably not, who knows?’

“That’s what it’s felt like. He won’t be there next season, and at some point, you’d have to assume he’ll probably be released because everyone knows he’s not going to be there.

“So why would you trade for him? There’s an obvious connection to Washington because of Jayden Daniels, Arizona State and that relationship. But I’m still not convinced that’s going to happen, either.”