Brandon Aiyuk breaks silence amid reports of 49ers discussing trading WR to Commanders
Brandon Aiyuk has fired shots amidst his ongoing standoff with the 49ers regarding a new contract and rumors that Commanders were interested in acquiring him via a trade from San Francisco. Just a few days back, the wide receiver was seen speaking to rookie Washington Commanders, and former college teammate, Jayden Daniels and saying that the 49ers did not want him.
Then came reports that this was all a mischaracterization that San Francisco wanted him traded to another team and that Brandon Aiyuk and the franchise did not agree on the valuation for a new deal. It essentially blamed him for saying that he felt that his current team did not want him back.
Now, with new reports emerging that the 49ers had indeed had contact with the Commanders about a potential trade, the wide receiver did not hold back with his comments. He wrote on Instagram,
“But I thought the niners was never tryna trade me?”
Commanders declined deal with 49ers for Brandon Aiyuk
The latest reports suggest that the Commanders and the 49ers explored the possibility of reuniting Brandon Aiyuk with Jayden Daniels, but Washington eventually decided against the deal. Reporting this, NFL insider Adam Schefter again reiterated that did not mean that San Francisco did not want the wide receiver back, a stance that the player clearly is taking issue with, in this context.
It was also revealed that the 49ers representatives, including head coach Kyle Shanahan, are meeting with Brandon Aiyuk and his representatives with the hope that a deal can be reached. The player reportedly wants to stay in San Francisco as his first preference but is open to playing elsewhere if that cannot happen. Ryan Clark also revealed that Jayden Daniels and the wide receiver are hanging out together, making it seem that Washington is his preference for a trade destination.
The longer the saga continues, the more there is a chance of a misunderstanding like this from which there is no coming back. That might not be in the best interests of either party. The 49ers are in a Super Bowl window with Brock Purdy still on his rookie contract. Brandon Aiyuk knows that the Commanders might be an appealing destination in terms of reuniting with a player he knows from college, but he will then be moving to a team that is not competing for the championship.
Add in the fact that Washington reportedly did not agree to a trade and that could mean that San Francisco is the team that wants him the most at this moment, whatever else he might think.