The Washington Commanders‘ interest in Brandon Aiyuk appears to be fading, according to multiple NFL insiders, as the disgruntled 49ers wide receiver’s social media activity continues to work against him.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter addressed the situation on his podcast, indicating Washington is unlikely to pursue Aiyuk even as it looks to add a veteran receiver.
“I honestly believe that he has scared off teams like Washington,” Schefter said. “I think they’re looking at the social media posts and saying, ‘Is this the kind of guy that we want to bring in right now and be a part of our franchise?'”
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler had a similar assessment earlier this week on SportsCenter, pointing to Aiyuk’s online behavior as a deterrent for teams around the league — Washington included.
“There are several veterans they could look at,” Fowler said. “I don’t think it’s going to be Brandon Aiyuk at this stage.”
The Commanders were considered the top suitors for Aiyuk throughout the entire saga, and the receiver has said throughout the process that he plans to play for Washington next season. However, this shift in tone away from Aiyuk-to-Washington seems to have been mounting over the past several weeks. The Athletic‘s Nicki Jhabvala first flagged the risk to Aiyuk’s market, suggesting his online antics could cost him a preferred landing spot.
Aiyuk then recently posted a video directed at Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, his former teammate at Arizona State. No way could have made things better.
Aiyuk, who signed a four-year, $120 million extension with the 49ers in August 2024, has been at odds with the organization for nearly a year. San Francisco voided guaranteed money in his deal after he skipped rehab for a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus suffered late in the 2024 season, then placed him on the reserve/left squad list in December when he stopped showing up to the facility.
He hasn’t played since that injury, missing all of 2025. Before going down, Aiyuk posted 24 catches for 374 yards in four games. His best season came in 2023, when he caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns as San Francisco reached the Super Bowl.
For Aiyuk to land elsewhere, he’ll first need the 49ers to release him outright or petition the league for reinstatement. He hasn’t done that and is seemingly refusing to do so, meaning his time in the NFL could be over before he even has a chance to return.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: NFL insider thinks Brandon Aiyuk has ‘scared off’ interested teams
