Overview
- As of May 28, Brandon Aiyuk remains on the 49ers roster but away from team facilities and San Francisco is refusing to release him without getting compensation through a trade.
- Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels told reporters on May 27 that he “doesn’t have a sense” of Aiyuk’s future, underscoring that Washington has not closed a deal and Daniels cannot influence it.
- Aiyuk has not played since tearing his ACL and MCL in October 2024 and his four-year, $120 million extension is deterring teams from absorbing or fully keeping his contract without a restructure.
- Washington is repeatedly identified as the most logical suitor because of ties to Daniels and former 49ers executive Adam Peters, but the Commanders have shown reluctance to surrender draft capital and prefer a low-cost trade or a release.
- The 49ers face short-term cap and dead-money choices that make timing important because a post-June 1 move would cut this season’s hit by spreading it into future years, so the club is in no rush and the standstill could persist.