Jayden Daniels hasn’t been shy about making his voice heard this offseason-and that’s exactly what you want from your franchise quarterback heading into year three. As the Washington Commanders begin a pivotal stretch under new head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters, Daniels is already signaling the type of offense he wants to lead-and maybe even the players he wants beside him.
One name that keeps coming up? Brandon Aiyuk.
Daniels didn’t outright say it, but during a Super Bowl media appearance with Nate Tice, he dropped a not-so-subtle hint about a potential reunion with his former Arizona State teammate. When asked about possible additions to the Commanders' offense, Daniels offered this:
“There’s a couple individuals that are out there. Maybe somebody from Arizona State in my past.
There’s people like that out there. I don’t wanna give too much.
But when that time comes, hopefully we can sign those types of players.”
That’s not exactly cryptic. Daniels and Aiyuk go way back to their college days, and the bond they formed in Tempe clearly hasn’t faded.
Now, with Aiyuk’s time in San Francisco all but over-confirmed by 49ers GM John Lynch-the door is open for a fresh start. And Washington could be a natural fit.
Of course, there’s a lot to consider. Aiyuk didn’t play a snap in 2025 due to a significant knee injury, and that’s the kind of red flag that makes front offices pause. But for a team like Washington, which is still building its identity around a young quarterback, this could be a calculated gamble worth exploring.
If Peters and the front office can get Aiyuk on a one-year, incentive-heavy deal, it might be the kind of low-risk, high-reward move that helps accelerate the rebuild. There’s no guarantee Aiyuk returns to the form that once made him one of the most exciting young receivers in the league-but if he does, and if the chemistry with Daniels clicks the way it did at ASU, the payoff could be huge.
Daniels is clearly stepping into more of a leadership role this offseason, and that extends beyond just play-calling input with new offensive coordinator David Blough. He’s invested.
He’s vocal. And he wants weapons.
The Commanders still have plenty of holes to fill-especially on the defensive side of the ball-but getting Daniels the right support should be at the top of the offseason priority list. Whether or not that includes Brandon Aiyuk will depend on how much risk Washington is willing to take. But if Daniels has a say-and it’s starting to look like he does-don’t be surprised if Aiyuk is catching passes in burgundy and gold come Week 1.