Jayden Daniels Discusses Brandon Aiyuk's Future Amid Commanders, NFL Trade Rumors

The Washington Commanders have pretty routinely been connected to Brandon Aiyuk in trade rumors (or if he's released, as a potential signing), but quarterback Jayden Daniels didn't offer much insight into the possibility on Wednesday.

"I don't have a sense on it," he told reporters. "That is my brother, we have a personal relationship, but his football future is out of my control."

Aiyuk, 28, signed a four-year, $120 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers in Aug. 2024 after a career year the season prior (75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns). But seven games into the 2024 campaign he suffered a torn ACL and MCL, ending his season.

He then skipped a number of rehabilitation sessions in the offseason and the Niners responded in July 2025 by voiding around $27 million in guaranteed money from his contract.

Aiyuk stopped reporting to the team at all, and in December the Niners placed him on the reserve/left team list.

"I think it's safe to say that he's played his last snap with the Niners," general manager John Lynch told reporters in January. "It's unfortunate. A situation that just went awry. And I will look long and hard at what could have been done differently, but sometimes it just doesn't work out. And I think that this was a case where that happened."

"I'd say it officially stopped for me when the last time I tried to get ahold of him and couldn't and then tried a couple more times and still couldn't," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters about communication with Aiyuk being cut off. "And then that matched everyone else that was trying to get ahold of him to come in. And eventually there's not much of an explanation because it's really hard for us and anyone else to understand, and that's why it's something I've never seen in 22 years of coaching. It's unfortunate and it's confusing because it's confusing for all of us, but it eventually becomes, 'It is what it is.'"

Aiyuk is undoubtedly talented, but his bizarre divorce from the 49ers likely nuked his trade value (and may make teams hesitant to sign him if he's released).

Daniels and Aiyuk played together at Arizona State in 2019—and adding another playmaker out wide to complement Terry McLaurin would make sense for the Commanders—so it isn't surprising that Aiyuk and Washington have been linked.

For now, however, there's little indication that a reunion is pending.