So, Brandon Aiyuk wants to play for the Washington Commanders?
The San Francisco 49ers’ disgruntled star wide receiver posted a video to Instagram on Sunday that shows him repeatedly saying “Go Commanders” and chanting a handful of their rallying cries such as “Raise Hail” and “Take Command.”
What’s more, Aiyuk posted a picture of former Washington quarterback Mark Rypien hoisting the Lombardi Trophy after the team’s Super Bowl XXVI triumph over the Buffalo Bills.
Of course, this is just the latest chapter in a two-year saga between Aiyuk and the 49ers that has included the receiver holding out for an extension, which he ultimately received in August 2024. He also made a public pitch to reunite with Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, Aiyuk’s teammate at Arizona State in 2019.
After signing his four-year, $120 million deal, Aiyuk tore his ACL and MCL seven games into the 2024 season. He didn’t play in 2025, and after there were questions about whether he was healthy enough to return, the 49ers ultimately removed the injury guarantees in his contract.
Following the 2025 campaign, San Francisco President of Football Operations John Lynch claimed it was “safe to say” that Aiyuk had “played his last snap with the 49ers.” However, the 28-year-old receiver remains on the team’s roster, with a robust trade market yet to develop. Aiyuk is entering the second season of his extension and recently called the franchise “stupid.”
From 2022-23, Aiyuk led the 49ers in both receptions and receiving yards. His best NFL season was in 2023, when he reeled in 75 receptions for 1,342 yards (17.9 yards per reception) and seven touchdowns.
Should Aiyuk land in D.C., he’d join a Commanders’ wide receiver room that includes two-time Pro Bowler Terry McLaurin, veteran Van Jefferson and 2026 third-round pick Antonio Williams, among others. Aiyuk’s former 49ers teammate, wide receiver Deebo Samuel, led Washington in receptions (72), receiving yards (727) and receiving touchdowns (five) last season but remains a free agent.
The Commanders are coming off a disappointing 5-12 campaign after reaching the NFC Championship Game in the 2024 season for the first time since 1991. Daniels, the 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, was limited to seven games last season due to knee, hamstring and elbow injuries.
