Could Brandon Aiyuk's dissatisfaction with his San Francisco 49ers' contract situation lead him to a reunion with former Arizona State teammate Jayden Daniels on the Washington Commanders?
A 6-foot, 200-pound speedster, Aiyuk will play on his fifth-year option, worth about $14.1 million. But Aiyuk wants a long-term contract that seems warranted based on his production. Several top receivers have hauled in contracts in the $25 million-per-year range. And Aiyuk's Pro Football Focus ranking of No. 8 justifies his cash-grab attempt.
Aiyuk held out of offseason camps. He also took the trendy social media road by unfollowing the 49ers' social media accounts.
How would a Brandon Aiyuk trade work?
First, it's important to understand the 49ers aren't going to give Brandon Aiyuk away. Despite Aiyuk's claims that San Francisco doesn't want him back, NFL teams tend to hold on to their prime pieces.
The 49ers were a play or two away from winning the Super Bowl last season, losing a 25-22 overtime heartbreaker to Kansas City. It's unlikely they want to mess with that success. Plus, the injury history of Deebo Samuel makes Aiyuk that much more valuable.
Another problem with this type of trade is the lack of premier pieces the Commanders could offer. They could send Terry McLaurin and a couple of draft picks to San Francisco. If the draft capital was good enough, that type of deal might actually work. However, the main reason Washington would want this deal is if it could keep Aiyuk and McLaurin together. This would create dynamic weaponry for Daniels, and give him a great opportunity for early NFL success.
The 49ers could use help on the offensive line after Purdy was pressured on nearly half of his dropbacks in the Super Bowl loss. Plus, San Francisco graded out at No. 24 in overall pass blocking.
However, Washington's offensive line is also a weakness. The Commanders can't afford to get any thinner at those positions. Daniels would be running for his life, and it would curtail the effectiveness of McLaurin and Aiyuk.
The only way a deal could work would be draft capital, and Washington would have to spend a lot. It might not take a first-round pick, but maybe a pair of second-rounders along with perhaps even Jahan Dotson.
How would Brandon Aiyuk fit with Commanders?
In 2023 Washington's offense ranked as one of the NFL's worst, coming in at No. 29 overall. The Commanders hope Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft, will be an impetus for dramatic change.
Daniels is in line to become Washington's starting quarterback in 2024, though head coach Dan Quinn hasn't put him in that position yet.
Adding a talent like Aiyuk to the mix would certainly help the cause. In 2023, Aiyuk solidified himself as one of the NFL's best wideouts. Playing in the league's top-ranked offense, Aiyuk totaled 75 catches for a career-high 1,375 yards. With plenty of mouths to feed in the dynamic offense, Aiyuk still found time to eat with seven touchdowns.
Overall, Aiyuk found a steady incline in production ever since Brock Purdy took over as the starter in December of 2022.
The connection
Brandon Aiyuk and Jayden Daniels wouldn't need to learn each other on the field because they've already been teammates. Aiyuk enters his fifth NFL season but played with Daniels in 2019 at Arizona State.
As a true freshman for the Sun Devils that season, Daniels threw for just under 3,000 yards with 17 touchdowns and only two interceptions. His favorite target was Aiyuk, who racked up 1,92 yards and scored eight times.
Daniels later bolted for LSU and turned in a dandy of a season in 2023. He highlighted the campaign by winning the Heisman Trophy.
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