Commanders Named A 'Landing Spot' in Wild Brandon Aiyuk Trade Rumor
Once upon a time, the San Francisco 49ers employed both Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk and life as a Super Bowl contender was good.
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Times have changed there, of course; they moved off of Deebo's contract by trading him to the Washington Commanders, who believe that as he works with quarterback Jayden Daniels and alongside fellow receiver Terry McLaurin, this team too can enjoy life as a Super Bowl contender.
And now comes talk that the Niners might also want to move off of Aiyuk's deal - a $120 million contract awarded him just a year ago amid great controversy ... and the media is creating its "landing spots'' stories as you read this.
Why might the 49ers want to dump out of Aiyuk's deal? Part of the problem, in addition to the money, is that he is rehabbing an injury and there is as of now no positive timetable there.
He is also - and we will say this politely - a bit of a knucklehead with a pattern of stirring things up in a not always helpful manner.
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And yet ... "The case for trading Brandon Aiyuk'' is once again a thing.
And more wild ... the Commanders are once again getting mentioned.
One site is including in its "three-team landing spot'' story a move for Aiyuk to Washington. It cites the fact that Washington's quarterback Jayden Daniels are old college teammates, which is certainly a fun fact.
And then the site writes, "Adding a top athlete to the Commanders offense would only make them stronger, particularly if they can pair him with Terry McLauin, although having two highly-paid wide receivers might be limited by the constraints of the salary cap.
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Umm ... "a pair''? "Two highly-paid'' wideouts? No, guys. A trade of Aiyuk to Washington would give them a "trio'' ... there would be "three highly-paid receivers pending McLaurin's coming new deal.
Deebo is making $17.5 million this year. Aiyuk's APY is $30 million. And McLaurin is seeking at least that in his new contract. That would make for a compelling receivers room ... but a financially bloated one in an unprecedented way.
Washington really does want to get a deal done with another receiver. But that receiver isn't Aiyuk. It's McLaurin. There's your real "landing spot'' guy in DC.
Related: NFL Stars Poke Fun at Commanders' Deebo Samuel Weight Gain
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
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