The San Francisco 49ers want to keep Brandon Aiyuk, and the All-Pro pass catcher prefers to stay in the Bay Area. The two sides don’t appear close to a long-term contract agreement, however, and Aiyuk continues to tease a potential relocation, this time by sharing footage of himself reviewing Washington Commanders practice film.
Aiyuk, remember, specifically identified the Commanders as a preferred landing spot in the event he and San Francisco can’t come to terms on a new deal. While the former first-round draft pick is technically under contract with the 49ers through 2024, and the team has reportedly been resistant to trade inquiries, it’s not out of the question the club could look to auction the pass catcher if negotiations continue to stall.
In that case, here are three potential trade proposals the Commanders could make:
Proposal No. 1
- Commanders get: WR Brandon Aiyuk
- 49ers get: 2025 first-round pick
Aiyuk by himself is probably worth a touch more than a first-rounder; the Philadelphia Eagles, for example, sent a first- and third-rounder to the Tennessee Titans for A.J. Brown in 2022, and unlike Brown at the time, Aiyuk is coming off a career year. The Brown deal occurred during the draft, however, and the Commanders aren’t in dire need of a splashy upgrade out wide, with Terry McLaurin already in tow. Couple that with the 49ers owning more leverage than Aiyuk in contract talks, and securing a Day 1 pick via trade might actually be considered a major San Francisco victory this late in the offseason. Seeing as Washington is just kicking off a new regime, the Commanders could end up owning an early or mid-first-rounder in 2025, enhancing the appeal of their pick.
Proposal No. 2
- Commanders get: WR Brandon Aiyuk
- 49ers get: WR Dyami Brown, 2025 second-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick
In this scenario, the 49ers don’t net a coveted first-rounder, but they secure what figures to be a relatively high Day 2 selection, plus a fourth-rounder that’d give them a grand total of six picks in the first four rounds of the 2025 draft. Brown isn’t really a needle-mover after three underwhelming NFL seasons, but the former North Carolina prospect has specific traits (blocking aggression, deep speed) that could translate quickly to Kyle Shanahan’s offense, providing rotational depth behind Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings and rookie first-rounder Ricky Pearsall.
Proposal No. 3
- Broncos get: WR Jamison Crowder (Washington), 2025 third-round pick (Washington)
- Commanders get: WR Brandon Aiyuk (San Francisco)
- 49ers get: WR Courtland Sutton (Denver), 2025 second-round pick (Washington)
Let’s get funky, eh? Denver is in a bit of a contract bind of its own, with Sutton contemplating a training-camp holdout as he seeks a pay raise entering Year 7. While Sean Payton may not prefer to part with his club’s most accomplished wideout, he could also use more resources for the long-term build around rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Crowder is aging, but his reliability as a possession target would probably appeal to Payton’s eye for efficiency. San Francisco, meanwhile, would essentially be renting a proven downfield starter in Sutton while also recouping a second-rounder by shipping Aiyuk to Washington.
