At this point, the likely end result of the contract dispute between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has changed on what feels like a daily basis.
One day, the 49ers and Aiyuk appear to be getting close to a new deal, and the next, he appears likely to be traded.
With Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season rapidly approaching, a potential Aiyuk trade feels like more of a realistic outcome if the two sides simply can't find common ground on a new contract. While the Pittsburgh Steelers have been a mainstay on the rumor mill in regards to acquiring Aiyuk, Mike Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle tossed another team back into the mix during a recent segment on KNBR.
"My updated information is that everything is still on the table, including all the trades you've heard about... That Steelers scenario... I wouldn't rule out Washington," Silver said.
The Washington Commanders appear to have vaulted their way back into the mix for Aiyuk, at least in some capacity, following the trade of former first-round pick wideout Jahan Dotson. Washington sent Dotson to the rival Philadelphia Eagles for a 2025 third-round pick and two 2025 seventh-round selections. The Commanders will also send a 2025 fifth-round pick back to Philadelphia.
Although the Steelers remain the favorites for Aiyuk at the moment, the Commanders make sense as a fit for the 26-year-old wideout. Currently, Washington has Terry McLaurin, Dyami Brown and Luke McCaffrey as its expected starters, with Jamison Crowder, Olamide Zaccheaus and Byron Pringle behind them.
If Washington is angling to acquire Aiyuk, it could choose to lean in hard to land him and likely put together a package that trumps what the Steelers may want to send for the disgruntled receiver. Time will tell, but if a move is going to happen, it should come sooner rather than later.
