Brandon Aiyuk to Commanders a deal that 'needs to get done' post draft

[ASFN Admin]

The 2026 NFL Draft has come to a close, but the work isn't done. All 32 NFL general managers now turn their attention to trade opportunities and franchise tag deadlines. The Washington Commanders are in the same boat as the rest, with Adam Peters now focusing on filling the remaining holes in the roster.

One of the most glaring discussions in Washington is around San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Aiyuk is a close friend of Jayden Daniels and is familiar with Adam Peters from their time together in San Francisco, but no trade has happened yet. That is largely because no team will want to absorb Aiyuk's contract without seeing him on the field, but that hasn't happened, making their trade desire all but impossible.

There are already reports that the Niners will end up releasing Aiyuk, at which time the Commanders will swoop in and bring him to the East Coast. Now, one CBS Sports analyst says this is one of 10 deals that need to get done during the offseason.

Aiyuk has played his final down in San Francisco, and the 49ers will officially part ways with him this offseason. The questions continue to be how the breakup will materialize and where Aiyuk ends up next.

A few nuggets were unearthed during the final day of the draft. General manager John Lynch said that the team isn't planning to release him. They remain open to trading him. The Commanders reportedly have a significant interest in acquiring Aiyuk, who was one of the NFL's most productive wideouts during the 2022 and '23 seasons.

The Commanders know that the 49ers don't have much leverage and are likely waiting for San Francisco to release him. The 49ers surely know Washington wants Aiyuk to pair with his former college teammate Jayden Daniels.

Despite this report saying that John Lynch doesn't plan to release Aiyuk, NFL insider Ian Rapoport indicated otherwise on Day 3. Rapoport stated that the 49ers are expected to release Aiyuk; it's just a matter of time. And when he is released, the expectation is that he will sign with the Commanders.

So, yeah, this isn't a deal that needs to get done because it's essentially already done. Everyone is just on hold until the 49ers decide to release Aiyuk. They are obviously holding out hope that they can trade him away and receive some kind of compensation for the wide receiver, but it seems to be well past that point.

What we really need to take away from this is that San Francisco is almost assuredly going to release Brandon Aiyuk, and when they do, he will sign with the Commanders and suit up in burgundy and gold this fall.

The question is when.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Brandon Aiyuk to Commanders a deal that 'needs to get done' post draft

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