49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk is going to be released at some point the offseason, and the expectation is he will sign with the Commanders shortly after.
Appearing on NFL Live, ESPN’s Adam Schefter spoke on the situation, saying he doesn’t expect Aiyuk to be released anytime soon. He notes the lack of guaranteed money allows San Francisco to take their time making a decision.
“I know it says they are planning to release him, but I would like to add on that they’re not planning to release him anytime soon. They essentially have no guaranteed money left on his contract, so they can hold onto him for the time being,” Schefter said.
Schefter believes they want to see if Aiyuk has any sort of trade value, and mentions the receivers’ connections to Commanders QB Jayden Daniels from their college days at Arizona State. Ultimately, he expects Aiyuk to get released eventually, but doesn’t think San Francisco is in any rush.
“I think they will be holding onto him to see if there’s any trade value at all. Washington does make a lot of sense. He played with Jayden Daniels in college. They’re very close. I’m sure Jayden would love to play again with Brandon Aiyuk, but I don’t get the sense that the 49ers are in any rush to move on from Brandon Aiyuk even though we know eventually they will.”
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.
We’ll have more on Aiyuk as the news is available.
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