The San Francisco 49ers reportedly had trade discussions with the Washington Commanders regarding 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk, but the Commanders opted against doing a deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter on NFL Live Monday (h/t George Carmi of Full Press NFL).
Later in the day, JPA Football relayed the Schefter report in an Instagram post, to which Aiyuk himself replied: “But I thought the niners was never tryna trade me?”
Aiyuk, 26, just caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. He is entering the final year of his rookie deal after the 49ers picked up his fifth-year option.
Both general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted during April’s NFL draft that the 49ers had discussions with other teams on Aiyuk, but nothing ever seemed close.
ESPN’s Nick Wagoner provided the report:
“Lynch and Shanahan acknowledged that there had been discussions with other teams Thursday. But Lynch said no deals came close to happening, while Shanahan said a trade of Aiyuk or fellow wideout Deebo Samuel never seemed likely.
“Asked late Thursday night if such a trade could still happen heading into Friday, Lynch and Shanahan again didn’t sound like a deal for either player was imminent, though they didn’t close the door completely.”
It’s clear Aiyuk isn’t entirely happy with the situation. He appeared in a TikTok video on June 17 with Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, saying, “They said they don’t want me back.” It’s unclear just what Aiyuk meant by that, whether it be after his contract expires in 2024 or whether the team doesn’t want him at his asking price in a long-term deal.
There are also a few clear connections with the Commanders. First, he and Daniels are friends and former Arizona State teammates. Second, Commanders general manager Adam Peters worked in the 49ers front office from 2017-2023, all with Lynch and Shanahan.
Also, ESPN analyst Ryan Clark revealed more information on NFL Live regarding a meeting Aiyuk set up with the 49ers alongside other information.
“Brandon Aiyuk told us that he wanted to set this meeting up himself,” Ryan Clark said on ESPN (h/t Grant Cohn of All 49ers).
“And when he was sitting with [us], he said that he’s taking these negotiations personal. The way that they have negotiated with him, the way that they have told him why he’s worth what he’s worth, it has touched him. It has affected him. He says he wants to be in San Francisco first but is comfortable playing elsewhere if that’s something that the San Francisco 49ers are willing to do via trade. And I will tell you this — when he sat with us, he did not walk into the room alone. First, it was Brandon Aiyuk. Second, it was Jayden Daniels. I’m not a tea leaf reader, but it seems like Aiyuk wouldn’t mind playing in Washington.”
The 49ers and Aiyuk have had discussions on a deal, but it appears that progress has “stalled,” per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on June 17.
In essence, this is a long, drawn-out contract saga with no end in sight at the moment and no clear direction on how it will end. What we do know is that Aiyuk is under contract for one more year right now, but it’s clear that his days in town could be numbered.