Brandon Aiyuk's Situation: The Standoff is Essentially Over
Here's the short version: The 49ers already moved on. They voided Aiyuk's contract guarantees and signed Mike Evans in the offseason, signaling they're done with the relationship (from the Brandon Aiyuk page). Aiyuk missed all of 2025 recovering from an ACL tear suffered in 2024, and he hasn't played since.
The lingering question is where he ends up — not if he leaves. The 49ers are expected to release or trade him, with a late Day 3 pick being the rumored asking price. The Commanders are the most frequently mentioned landing spot, thanks to his college connection with Jayden Daniels (Arizona State) and GM Adam Peters (formerly in the 49ers front office). The Raiders and Falcons have also been floated as possibilities.
From the experts:
Underdog Fantasy's Josh & Hayden said the longer the 49ers wait, the more likely Washington just offers a seventh-rounder — which would actually help SF financially.
Sal Vetri also highlighted the Commanders, noting Aiyuk is "obviously linked" to Daniels because they're good friends.
Establish The Run pointed out that beyond the injury, there are "reports of bad attitude" and the contract void stuff clouding his value.
Fantasy bottom line: If Aiyuk lands in Washington with Daniels and Terry McLaurin, he'd have upside — but the ACL recovery, character question marks, and the fact that he hasn't played meaningful football since 2024 make him a risk-reward dart throw at his current ADP (FantasyPros rank 166 overall).