Brandon Aiyuk says he'd sign with the Commanders 'tomorrow' if the 49ers cut him
A day after his 'Go Commanders' shout-out, Aiyuk named Washington directly and dared San Francisco to release him. Nothing has happened on the transaction front, but his campaign just got louder.
Brandon Aiyuk has stopped hinting. In a series of Instagram videos posted Wednesday promoting the Washington Commanders, the wide receiver said that if the San Francisco 49ers cut him today, he would sign with Washington tomorrow. It is the most direct version yet of a message he has been building toward all month, and it lands one day after he cheered 'Go Commanders' on the same platform. The escalation is real, but the situation on paper has not changed: no cut, no trade, and no team able to publicly say it wants him.
What did Aiyuk actually say?
Posting Wednesday as part of a string of videos promoting the Commanders, Aiyuk responded to his own claim about being the best receiver in the world by saying, 'And if I'm crazy or if I'm cappin', tell them boys cut me today. And I'll sign with the Commanders tomorrow.' That is the new line. Unlike the day before, when he simply chanted 'Go Commanders' and posted a photo of Mark Rypien with the Super Bowl XXVI trophy, this time he named the destination and tied it to a specific demand: release me. It is a public dare aimed at San Francisco rather than a formal trade request, which he is not in a position to make through the media. What it is not is confirmation of anything. No move has been agreed to, and Aiyuk does not control whether the 49ers cut him.
How is this an escalation from yesterday?
On June 22, Aiyuk posted a Commanders cheer to his Instagram Story, and the read at the time was speculation: ESPN connected it to a possible reunion with Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels, his close friend and former Arizona State teammate, but Aiyuk himself had named no team and made no demand. Wednesday's videos removed that ambiguity. He said the word Commanders out loud and attached it to a request to be released. This is also not the first sign of his frustration boiling over publicly. Earlier in June he called the 49ers 'dumb' and 'stupid' in videos and suggested the team was afraid to let him go, and his offseason has included off-field noise as well, including a reported warrant tied to a speeding video. The throughline is a player turning up the volume in public while the standoff stays frozen in private.
Where do things actually stand with the 49ers?
The relationship has been broken for nearly a year. Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million extension in August 2024, then tore the ACL, MCL, and meniscus in his knee during the 2024 season. The 49ers voided his remaining guaranteed money last July after he did not participate in required rehab, and the team placed him on its reserve/left list in December when he stopped attending the facility. In January, general manager John Lynch said Aiyuk had played his last snap with the Niners. Even so, no cut or trade has been executed. San Francisco is reportedly holding onto him while hoping to find a trade partner, which is a different outcome than the outright release Aiyuk is asking for. His videos appear to be an attempt to pressure that decision rather than a signal that it is close.
Could Washington even respond, and is the football realistic?
Not publicly. Under NFL tampering rules, the Commanders cannot express interest in a player who is still under contract with another team, so any enthusiasm on their end has to stay private no matter what Aiyuk posts. That makes his campaign one-sided by design. There are also real football questions. Aiyuk has not played since the 2024 injury, and any team adding him would be betting on a return from a serious knee injury after a contentious year away from the field. When healthy he has been a high-end receiver, with 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023 on the way to second-team All-Pro honors, and there have been encouraging recovery signs. For now, though, the only thing that has actually moved is the volume. Until the 49ers release or trade him, this remains a player lobbying for an exit, not a transaction.
Players in this story
Sources
- ESPN: Aiyuk - If 49ers cut me, I'll sign with Commanders 'tomorrow'
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