Commanders Believed To Still Be Open To Adding At Wide Receiver

Washington has had trouble finding a consistent playmaker opposite Terry McLaurin in the passing game over the last few years.

Per ESPN’s John Keim, league sources acknowledged the Commanders could use another receiving playmaker. Keim mentioned GM Adam Peters‘ comments during the draft, when he said they are always monitoring available players or those who might become available.

That could apply 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk or free agent WR Stefon Diggs, as Aiyuk is expected to be released eventually, while Diggs remains unsigned after having his recent charges dropped.

Regarding Aiyuk, San Francisco remains focused on trying to get anything they can in return before releasing him. Keim notes Washington “has been content to wait,” and brought up Peters’ connection to Aiyuk from their time together in San Francisco.

Should Aiyuk not become available until August, Keim talked about the difficulties in getting a player up to speed in a new offense who hasn’t practiced in almost two years. 

Keim made the case for going after Diggs, citing McLaurin’s seven missed games last year going into his eighth season. He thinks having a more proven receiver like Diggs would make sense in case McLaurin misses any time, and also mentioned Diggs’ connections to Maryland from high school and college.

Aiyuk, 28, was a one-year starter at Arizona State and earned first-team All-Pac 12 in his final season. The 49ers traded up with the Vikings to select him with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. 

He signed a four-year, $12,531,342 rookie contract that included a $6,673,703 signing bonus. The 49ers picked up his fifth-year option last year that cost them $14,124,000 fully guaranteed for the 2024 season. 

Aiyuk officially agreed to a four-year, $120 million extension that includes $76 million guaranteed after a lengthy period in which he was nearly traded to the Steelers.

In 2024, Aiyuk appeared in seven games for the 49ers and caught 23 passes for 351 yards receiving and no touchdowns.

Diggs, 32, is a former fifth-round pick of the Vikings back in 2015. He was in the final year of his rookie contract when he agreed to a five-year extension worth $72 million with the Vikings in 2018

The Vikings traded Diggs to the Bills in 2020 for a package of draft picks, including a first-round selection. 

Diggs was set to make base salaries of $11.775 million and $11.85 million over the final two years of his deal in 2022 and 2023 when Buffalo signed him to a four-year, $104 million extension. 

He was due base salaries of $18.5 million and $18 million over the next two seasons when the Bills traded him to the Texans for a 2025 second-round pick. Houston reworked his contract to give him a raise and make him an unrestricted free agent in 2025. 

Diggs played out that contract and signed a three-year, $60 million deal with the Patriots in 2025. He was released after just one season, though. 

In 2025, Diggs appeared in all 17 games for the Patriots and recorded 85 catches on 102 targets for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. 

We’ll have more on the Commanders as the news is available.