Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters is busy preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft, which begins on April 23. While free agency gave coach Dan Quinn's team a chance to fill immediate needs with proven players, the draft gives commanders a chance to add potential stars for a fraction of the cost. With a little luck, Commander might even add a franchise cornerstone or two.
Still, even though the upcoming draft is the main focus for many front office executives, commanders are still being linked to other moves for veteran players.
Specifically, the latest report from ESPN's 49ers insider Nick Wagner suggests that the Commander remain the "most likely landing spot" for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Still, it is not that simple.
"Team and league sources have indicated that the Washington Commanders are the most likely landing spot for Aiyuk when he moves on. Commanders general manager Adam Peters was in San Francisco's personnel department when it drafted Aiyuk. More importantly, Aiyuk is close friends with Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels from their shared time at Arizona State, and Aiyuk has spoken about his desire to play with Daniels in the past. If anyone can provide some insight on how Aiyuk is doing, possibly Daniels and Peters dined together at league meetings in Phoenix, but it remains to be seen if the Commander would be willing to give up something for Aiyuk instead of waiting for him to be released.
Brandon Aiyuk/Washington Commanders on ESPN
Aiyuk, a former second-team All-Pro pass-catcher, is still under contract in San Francisco. They are working hard with him, hoping a team will table a trade offer for the 28-year-old. Meanwhile, other teams are hoping the 49ers will eventually release Aiyuk, feeling like he's not worth the current $14.6 million cap hit for 2026 after missing the entire 2025 season due to a knee injury. Additionally, Aiyuk has a very bad contract through 2027, where he has a ridiculous cap hit of $41.4 million.
As for the Commanders, while they may really like the idea of reuniting Aiyuk with his college QB, Jayden Daniels, at Arizona State, they are in no rush to part with draft compensation to do so. It appears that if Washington adds Aiyuk, they would prefer to do so on his own contract terms rather than the terms set by San Francisco, and no longer want to commit.
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