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Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters has a lot on his plate this offseason. Some of that has been addressed by hiring new offensive and defensive coordinators, but he still has to contend with free agency and the draft to rebuild this team into what it was in 2024.
One of the things that's been discussed lately is the need for another receiver to take the focus off of Terry McLaurin. Deebo Samuel is a free agent next month, and the other receivers include young players Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane. Both are still developing, but Washington needs someone who can draw attention away from McLaurin.
Ahead of the 2026 NFL Combine this week, Peters addressed the media and was asked specifically about San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
"Brandon Aiyuk is a player on another team under contract, so I can't comment on that," Peters said.
"But second chances in general?" A reporter asks.
"Second chances, yeah, I think everybody on Earth deserves a second chance," Peters said. "With (Javon) Kinlaw, I mean, that was an interesting one. Kinlaw earned his second chance, and really, he earned every single bit of it. And so I wouldn't really call kind of a second chance, so to speak. I think because I had the familiarity with him and understanding of the type of person and player, and competitor he is, that helped factor in the decision. But, I think he earned every single bit of that by the way he came back from his injuries and everything to be a really, really good player. In terms of Brandon, I love the person, but I can't really comment on the player."
To be fair, he isn't wrong that he can't comment on that situation. He can't be in contact with players on other teams who are under contract. However, it seems that Aiyuk is done with the 49ers, and they are done with him, as perplexed as they might be by his actions. He signed a four-year, $120 million contract ahead of the 2024 NFL season. That season, he tore his ACL and MCL and appeared in just seven games.
As he worked his way back from injury in 2025, he didn't appear in a single game after he stopped showing up to the facility abruptly. The 49ers voided his guaranteed money from his contract extension, and Aiyuk opted not to file a grievance through the NFLPA. In 69 games with the 49ers, the former first-round draft pick recorded 293 receptions for 4,305 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Could Aiyuk land in Washington this offseason? If so, he could absolutely be the distraction from Terry McLaurin that the Commanders are looking for. It doesn't hurt that Aiyuk and Commanders' quarterback Jayden Daniels played a year of college football together in 2019 at Arizona State, either, and remain close friends. Daniels even hinted at wanting Washington to acquire Aiyuk earlier this month.
Peters knows Aiyuk well, having been in San Francisco's front office when the 49ers selected him in the 2020 NFL Draft. Peters was with the Niners for the first four seasons of Aiyuk's career before joining Washington in 2024.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' Adam Peters: 'Everybody on Earth deserves a second chance'
Continue reading...
One of the things that's been discussed lately is the need for another receiver to take the focus off of Terry McLaurin. Deebo Samuel is a free agent next month, and the other receivers include young players Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane. Both are still developing, but Washington needs someone who can draw attention away from McLaurin.
Ahead of the 2026 NFL Combine this week, Peters addressed the media and was asked specifically about San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
"Brandon Aiyuk is a player on another team under contract, so I can't comment on that," Peters said.
"But second chances in general?" A reporter asks.
"Second chances, yeah, I think everybody on Earth deserves a second chance," Peters said. "With (Javon) Kinlaw, I mean, that was an interesting one. Kinlaw earned his second chance, and really, he earned every single bit of it. And so I wouldn't really call kind of a second chance, so to speak. I think because I had the familiarity with him and understanding of the type of person and player, and competitor he is, that helped factor in the decision. But, I think he earned every single bit of that by the way he came back from his injuries and everything to be a really, really good player. In terms of Brandon, I love the person, but I can't really comment on the player."
To be fair, he isn't wrong that he can't comment on that situation. He can't be in contact with players on other teams who are under contract. However, it seems that Aiyuk is done with the 49ers, and they are done with him, as perplexed as they might be by his actions. He signed a four-year, $120 million contract ahead of the 2024 NFL season. That season, he tore his ACL and MCL and appeared in just seven games.
As he worked his way back from injury in 2025, he didn't appear in a single game after he stopped showing up to the facility abruptly. The 49ers voided his guaranteed money from his contract extension, and Aiyuk opted not to file a grievance through the NFLPA. In 69 games with the 49ers, the former first-round draft pick recorded 293 receptions for 4,305 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Could Aiyuk land in Washington this offseason? If so, he could absolutely be the distraction from Terry McLaurin that the Commanders are looking for. It doesn't hurt that Aiyuk and Commanders' quarterback Jayden Daniels played a year of college football together in 2019 at Arizona State, either, and remain close friends. Daniels even hinted at wanting Washington to acquire Aiyuk earlier this month.
Peters knows Aiyuk well, having been in San Francisco's front office when the 49ers selected him in the 2020 NFL Draft. Peters was with the Niners for the first four seasons of Aiyuk's career before joining Washington in 2024.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' Adam Peters: 'Everybody on Earth deserves a second chance'
Continue reading...
