Brandon Aiyuk’s Time in San Francisco Appears Over - Could a Reunion with Jayden Daniels Be Next?
The San Francisco 49ers are heading into the offseason with a lot to sort out - from getting key players healthy to making tough roster decisions. But one situation that already feels close to resolution is the future of wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. And all signs point to that future being somewhere other than the Bay Area.
General manager John Lynch didn’t exactly leave much to the imagination during his end-of-season press conference, saying it was “safe to say” that Aiyuk has played his final down in a 49ers uniform. Head coach Kyle Shanahan added more fuel to the fire, suggesting that Aiyuk had essentially cut ties with the team - reportedly no longer showing up at the facility or staying in contact.
So, if Aiyuk is indeed on the move, where could he land next?
Well, one quarterback has already started dropping hints - and for 49ers fans, the name won’t come as a shock. Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, during a recent interview with Yahoo!
Sports’ Nate Tice, was asked if there’s a specific type of receiver he’d like to see join him in D.C. Daniels responded with a knowing smile and a nod to his past: “Maybe someone from Arizona State in my past.”
When Tice followed up with “lives on the West Coast,” Daniels confirmed with a simple “yeah.”
It doesn’t take much decoding to figure out who Daniels was referencing. That would be Brandon Aiyuk - his former teammate at Arizona State.
The two were electric together in 2019, with Aiyuk racking up 65 catches for 1,192 yards and eight touchdowns in just 12 games. He declared for the NFL Draft after that season and was selected in the first round by the 49ers.
Daniels, meanwhile, stuck around in Tempe for two more years before transferring to LSU in 2022, where he eventually became one of the top quarterback prospects in the country.
This isn’t the first time Aiyuk has flirted with the idea of a reunion. Back in 2024, while negotiating a contract extension with San Francisco, Aiyuk made it known he could see himself suiting up for the Commanders. He even posted clips of himself watching Commanders practice film - a not-so-subtle nod to where his interests might lie.
The 49ers eventually gave him the deal he was looking for: four years, $120 million. At the time, it looked like a win for both sides. But things unraveled quickly.
Midway through the 2024 season, Aiyuk suffered a torn ACL - a brutal blow that sidelined him for the rest of that year and all of 2025. As the months passed, the relationship between player and team deteriorated.
San Francisco voided the guarantees on his contract, a move that went public in November. Aiyuk was then placed on the reserve/left squad list in December - a clear signal that the situation had reached its breaking point.
Now, it feels like a breakup is inevitable. The only remaining question is whether a team like the Commanders would be willing to trade for Aiyuk, given how messy his exit from San Francisco has become.
If Jayden Daniels has any say in the matter, it sounds like he’s all for it. And from a football standpoint, the fit makes sense. Washington is in the early stages of a rebuild, and pairing a rising star quarterback with a wide receiver he already has chemistry with could fast-track the development of their offense.
Of course, any trade would come with risk. Aiyuk hasn’t played meaningful football in over a year, and the ACL injury adds a layer of uncertainty.
But when healthy, he’s a dynamic playmaker - a route technician with deep-threat ability and a physical edge after the catch. That kind of talent doesn’t hit the market often, especially at just 28 years old.
The Commanders have assets to spend and a new regime looking to reshape the roster. If they believe Aiyuk can return to form, and if Daniels keeps vouching for his former teammate, don’t be surprised if Washington makes a move.
One thing’s clear: the Brandon Aiyuk era in San Francisco is all but over. What comes next could be one of the more intriguing storylines of the offseason - especially if it leads to a reunion in the nation’s capital.