San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has been one of the most talked about players in the NFL this offseason, but not for the most lighthearted of reasons. Aiyuk and the 49ers are in ongoing negotiations for a contract extension, but no deal has been reached with the regular season just two weeks away.
Several other teams, including the Washington Commanders, have been rumored to be contenders to trade for the star wide receiver. After the Commanders traded wide receiver Jahan Dotson to their division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, Aiyuk’s move to Washington could help the team gain some traction.
Could the Commanders Pursue Brandon Aiyuk After Jahan Dotson Trade?
The Commanders sent Dotson to the Eagles on Thursday, along with a 2025 fifth-round pick, in exchange for a third-round selection and two seventh-rounders in 2025.
A first-round pick in 2022, Dotson is coming off a 2023 season where he caught 49 passes for 518 yards and four touchdowns. Those numbers are similar to his rookie season in 2022, where he caught 42 passes for 523 yards and seven touchdowns.
Dotson was drafted with the hopes he would become the Commanders’ No. 2 receiver behind Pro Bowler Terry McLaurin. But after two seasons, Washington has decided to send him to its division rival.
The Eagles, meanwhile, just got a boost to their receiving corps, which already includes A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith. Both receivers got contract extensions this past offseason.
Even with McLaurin, who has four straight 1,000-yard seasons, the Commanders’ receiving room is very thin and unproven in depth. After McLaurin, Washington’s top wide receivers are Olamide Zaccheaus, Dyami Brown, and rookie third-round pick Luke McCaffrey.
That’s a problem.
Now, with a huge hole at wide receiver, and more draft capital at their disposal, could the Commanders now make a more aggressive pursuit of Aiyuk?
The ties are very apparent.
Not only was Jayden Daniels teammates with Aiyuk at Arizona State, but the Commanders’ new general manager, Adam Peters, came from San Francisco and was with the 49ers when they selected Aiyuk in Round 1 of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Having their franchise quarterback on a rookie deal enables Washington to go after a potentially high-priced receiver.
What Could a Commanders Trade Offer for Aiyuk Look Like?
While the Commanders’ receiving depth behind McLaurin is a problem, they’re in a position to make a move and add a proven commodity to their WR room. Washington has a third-round pick to offer other teams, but they would also need to offer the 49ers their first-round picks in 2025 and 2026.
San Francisco is hoping to still be in Super Bowl contention beyond this season, even if they don’t sign Aiyuk to a long-term extension and trade him as a result. Therefore, they need two first-round picks in exchange for a rapidly ascending player like Aiyuk.
When the Tennessee Titans traded A.J. Brown to the Eagles on the night of the NFL Draft’s first round in 2022, Philadelphia sent back its first-round and third-round selections. Brown is one of the NFL’s elite wide receivers, and the Titans weren’t going to trade him without getting a first-round pick in return.
Brown’s numbers in his first three seasons with the Titans are comparable to Aiyuk’s numbers in his four seasons with the 49ers. But he really took off once being traded to Philadelphia, with back-to-back 1,400-yard seasons.
If Brown was worth a first- and third-round pick when he was traded in 2022 before taking off as an elite wide receiver, Aiyuk is definitely worth more in the event San Francisco trades him in 2024.
Even with all the weapons the 49ers have in Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Jauan Jennings, Aiyuk is arguably the most valuable weapon to San Francisco’s offense.
Aiyuk averaged 17.9 yards per catch in 2023. That’s almost two first downs worth per catch.
Aiyuk is the 49ers’ vertical threat, enabling Brock Purdy to push the ball down the field, and San Francisco needs to do whatever it takes to extend him. In a season that is viewed as Super Bowl-or-bust for the 49ers, Purdy and Kyle Shanahan need their full complement of weapons.
While Brown took off as a receiver after getting traded, Aiyuk took less time to match his current production level. General manager John Lynch has to recognize that and do whatever it takes to extend Aiyuk.
The Titans have spent the last three seasons drafting and signing free agents, including DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley, to try and fill the massive void Brown left in Nashville. Even though the 49ers would get a lot of draft capital in return for trading Aiyuk, there’s no guarantee those picks will fill the void Aiyuk would leave in the Bay Area.
The 49ers are in win-now mode. Aiyuk is the most valuable member of the offense, and Lynch and the front office need to do whatever it takes to extend him.