Washington Commanders Were Willing To Pay and Trade For Disgruntled 49ers Star Aiyuk

Five teams were willing to trade for Brandon Aiyuk, and the Washington Commanders were one of them.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) reacts to his touchdown score during the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-3. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Unio / USA

Disgruntled star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers have been at odds with one another over a contract extension. Aiyuk and the 49ers haven't been close on reaching agreement which has led the blooming wideout to now publicly ask for a trade from the organization.

Before the public demand by Aiyuk, he was linked to numerous trade rumors leading up to the 2024 NFL draft, but nothing ever came to fruition. Aiyuk has publicly put on record that he is open to playing for another team, specifically the Washington Commanders as his long-time friend and former teammate Jayden Daniels is now in line to become the starter for Washington.

In a recent report by Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, the Commanders, along with four other NFL teams, were willing to pay Aiyuk what he wanted if a trade could have been worked out.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) reacts to his touchdown score during the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-3. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Unio / USA

"There were five teams, we’re told, who were ready to pay Aiyuk what he wanted before the draft."

- Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk

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"Regardless, there were five teams, we’re told, who were ready to pay Aiyuk what he wanted before the draft. If they could also reach acceptable trade terms with the 49ers, he would have been traded," Florio reported. "That part didn’t happen. It’s unclear what the 49ers wanted at the time. They rejected an offer of a second-round pick from the Patriots. Other interested teams were, and potentially still are, the Steelers and Commanders."

It comes as no surprise that the Commanders would be interested in Aiyuk's services given his relationship with Daniels and the production he has put out over the past couple of seasons in San Fran. It appears that the Commanders are still interested in Aiyuk at this point, but the question will come down to whether or not they can meet the asking price by the 49ers.

Bringing in Aiyuk would undoubtedly improve the Commanders' weapons on offense, but would it be at the expense of young wideout Jahan Dotson? If the Commanders can make it work without losing Dotson it would be a win for the organization, and even if they have to let Dotson go in the trade, Aiyuk seems like an obvious upgrade.

Everything at this moment is hypothetical as Aiyuk is currently set to play on his fifth-year option in San Francisco, but we can never rule out something getting done over the next few weeks or even into the season.

It's worth noting that the 49ers have a history of signing players to extensions late into the offseason and even into the season, so there is still a situation where Aiyuk could remain a 49er into his future if the two sides can eventually meet in the middle.

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