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By Michael Gallagher
Sports Content Coordinator
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Brandon Aiyuk’s long, messy divorce from the San Francisco 49ers might finally be nearing its end, and there could already be a landing spot waiting for him.
Aiyuk is in the process of getting reinstated to the NFL after nearly a year away from the team. He spent the summer dogging the 49ers on social media, and he’s met with the team to get the ball rolling on him getting back into the league.
When he does, he won’t be playing in San Francisco. And according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, there’s one team that just might be willing to take him and his wild off-the-field antics on.
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“The Commanders haven't completely abandoned the idea of adding wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who was rumored during the summer to end up in Washington, according to sources,” Schefter and Rapoport stated. “Before an Aiyuk deal could happen — if it were to happen — the organization would have to have discussions with multiple people. It's not a no, but it's also not a yes just yet.”
That’s a significant development for a player who hasn’t stepped on an NFL field in more than two years.
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Aiyuk tore the ACL, MCL and meniscus in his right knee against the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 20, 2024, and hasn’t played since. The 49ers then voided roughly $27 million in remaining guarantees in his contract in July 2025 because he didn’t attend rehab check-ins, and he landed on the reserve/left-squad list that December.
General manager John Lynch said in January that Aiyuk had played his last snaps for San Francisco, and Aiyuk skipped the offseason program and training camp.
Things finally started moving this week. Aiyuk hired agent Drew Rosenhaus, filed for reinstatement, and met with the 49ers on Friday for about an hour and 15 minutes — his first public appearance in the Bay Area since the injury.
“I’m feeling great, feeling healthy,” Aiyuk said. “It was a long recovery process, a long rehab process, but I’m back to 100% and looking to get reinstated to the National Football League.”
There’s still a major hurdle though. The league informed Aiyuk this week that he must repay about $13 million in bonus money the 49ers are seeking before he can be reinstated.
If the two sides work that out, San Francisco can release him (the likeliest outcome), trade him, or add him to the 53-man roster. Trading him is the team’s preference, but the 49ers haven’t found a partner all offseason, and the deadline is Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
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