Commanders Linked to Huge WR Move Amid Brutal Season

By Matthew Schmidt

Contributing Sports Writer

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The Washington Commanders made the NFC Championship Game last season and were viewed as legitimate contenders heading into the 2025 campaign. But here we are in December, and the Commanders are just 3-9.

Of course, injuries have played a large role in Washington's demise. Jayden Daniels, for example, has played in just six games and has not made an appearance since Nov. 2 due to a dislocated elbow. Terry McLaurin has only taken the field five times, as well.

Read more: Chiefs’ Andy Reid Sends Incredibly Weird Warning to NFL

But even when Daniels has been healthy, things have not looked quite right for the Commanders, who also entered the season as the oldest team in football.

Changes certainly need to be made in Washington, and that could involve getting Daniels some fresher weapons for 2026. On that note, one possibility appears to be emerging for the Commanders: San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

Aiyuk and the 49ers seem to be headed for a split, even after the 27-year-old signed a four-year extension with San Francisco last year. Aiyuk has not played since last October due to a torn ACL, and he has apparently distanced himself from the Niners throughout the 2025 campaign.

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The general expectation is that the 49ers will release Aiyuk after the season, and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler has named Washington as a potential destination for the former first-round pick.

"One team to potentially watch for Aiyuk is Washington," Fowler wrote. "He is close with quarterback Jayden Daniels, his former teammate at Arizona State. And general manager Adam Peters -- a John Lynch disciple from his time in San Francisco -- understands the Aiyuk experience well."

Before Aiyuk inked his long-term deal with San Francisco in 2024, there were rumors that the Niners could trade the star wide out, and even back then, the Commanders were viewed as one of his top landing spots due to his relationship with Daniels.

Read more: Philadelphia Eagles Make WR Move Amid Offensive Struggles

During his last healthy season in 2023, Aiyuk hauled in 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging a healthy 17.9 yards per catch.

The Reno, Nv. native posted back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns before sustaining his knee injury midway through last year.

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