Overview
- Team leaders signaled no rush to move the wide receiver, with reporting noting the 49ers owe nothing until an option bonus comes due on September 1 and prefer a trade over a release.
- Kyle Shanahan said the situation will resolve in time, and Matt Barrows reported the club wants draft picks rather than handing Aiyuk to a rival for free.
- Barrows told talkSPORT the 49ers believe Washington is eyeing Aiyuk, and he said Aiyuk has been in contact with Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, a dynamic that has irritated San Francisco.
- Washington is seen as a logical fit because of Aiyuk’s ties to general manager Adam Peters and Daniels from Arizona State, though any suitor would likely want medical clarity and contract adjustments first.
- Aiyuk tore his ACL, MCL, and meniscus in October 2024, missed team-mandated rehab sessions in 2025 that led the 49ers to void about $27 million in 2026 guarantees, and an outright release today would carry roughly $29.585 million in dead money unless designated after June 1.