Brandon Aiyuk’s path back to the NFL is finally starting to move, and one possible destination is already hanging out there in the background.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Washington Commanders have not shut the door on adding the former 49ers wide receiver. The interest is not locked in, but it’s real enough to keep the door cracked.
“The Commanders haven't completely abandoned the idea of adding wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who was rumored during the summer to end up in Washington, according to sources,” Schefter and Rapoport stated. “Before an Aiyuk deal could happen - if it were to happen - the organization would have to have discussions with multiple people. It's not a no, but it's also not a yes just yet.”
That comes as Aiyuk works through the process of getting reinstated after nearly a year away from the 49ers. He spent the summer taking shots at the team on social media, and he has already met with San Francisco to begin the process of getting back into the league.
Aiyuk also made his first public appearance in the Bay Area since the injury on Friday, spending about an hour and 15 minutes with the 49ers. He hired agent Drew Rosenhaus, filed for reinstatement and told reporters, “I’m feeling great, feeling healthy,” Aiyuk said. “It was a long recovery process, a long rehab process, but I’m back to 100% and looking to get reinstated to the National Football League.”
The comeback effort is still tangled up in a major financial issue. The league told Aiyuk this week that he has to repay about $13 million in bonus money the 49ers are seeking before reinstatement can happen.
That’s only part of a much bigger break between Aiyuk and San Francisco. He tore the ACL, MCL and meniscus in his right knee against the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 20, 2024, and he hasn’t played since. In July 2025, the 49ers voided roughly $27 million in remaining guarantees in his contract because he didn’t attend rehab check-ins, and he was later placed on the reserve/left-squad list that December.
The split has been building for months. General manager John Lynch said in January that Aiyuk had played his last snaps for San Francisco, and Aiyuk skipped both the offseason program and training camp.
If the bonus issue gets resolved, San Francisco still has a few ways to handle him. The team can release him, trade him or put him on the 53-man roster.
Trading him is the preferred route, but the 49ers haven’t found a partner all offseason, and the deadline is Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
In Other News...
49ers Could Still Make One Deadline Swing Fans Never Saw Coming
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, the 49ers are once again in the familiar position of being linked to upgrades that could change the shape of their roster in a hurry. The conversation is less about one obvious need than a broader scan of the market, with San Francisco mentioned as a team that could look at help on both sides of the ball if the right deal comes together.
Among the names being floated are defensive back Marlon Humphrey, running back Jonathan Taylor, wideout Adonai Mitchell, receiver Devaughn Vele and edge rusher Chase Young. The mix says plenty about how wide the 49ers options could be, and Young adds an especially interesting layer because of his past with the team, but for now it remains a speculative list rather than a sign that any move is close. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Fans Are About To See Whats Left Of An Old Rivalry
A familiar old Bay Area matchup is back on the schedule, and this one carries a different feel than it once did. The Raiders are returning to Levi's Stadium to face the 49ers in a regular-season game in the region for the first time since 2019, a reminder of how much has changed since the days when the rivalry had a bigger local footprint and a louder split down the middle of Northern California.
The move to Las Vegas has reshaped more than the franchise's address. The Raiders have continued to grow financially even as the on-field results have lagged, and longtime supporters are left weighing the teams direction under the current coaching staff against a fan base that no longer looks quite as it did before. For 49ers fans, it is a chance to see what remains of an old cross-bay rivalry, even if the energy around it is not what it used to be. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Could Get A Huge Lineup Boost Sooner Than Expected
The 49ers finally have some encouraging injury news after weeks of juggling a battered lineup. Nick Bosa is back on the practice field in a limited capacity after missing the past five games with a calf injury, and his return alone changes the tone of a defense that has had to keep moving without one of its most disruptive pieces. Jauan Jennings has also opened his 21-day practice window, giving San Francisco another path toward getting a useful offensive weapon back in the mix.
There is still some sorting out to do before the 49ers know exactly how much help they will get and when. Safety Talanoa Hufanga and receiver Brandon Aiyuk have also returned to limited practice, which gives the team multiple reinforcements to evaluate as it heads into Week 10 and beyond. For a roster that has spent much of the season managing absences, even the possibility of getting several key players back in the span of a week or two is a meaningful shift. [Read more 🡒]