Brandon Aiyuk is done being subtle about wanting out of San Francisco.
The 49ers wide receiver posted two photos on Instagram Saturday wearing a Washington Commanders hat. He even captioned the second one “the hat the gig is up,” with emojis for clarity. If you are looking for a player throwing the loudest possible hint about a trade, this is it.
Aiyuk has been linked to the Commanders for months. He played college ball with Jayden Daniels at Arizona State, and the chemistry between the two is part of the appeal. Daniels is one of the best young quarterbacks in football. Aiyuk is a number one wideout when healthy. The fit makes too much sense.
The reason the trade has not happened is that the 49ers are still trying to extract value. John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan know Aiyuk is not a piece they need anymore. They also know he is a high-end talent who can fetch real picks. The standoff is about price, not desire on either end.
The complication is Aiyuk’s recent legal trouble. He had an arrest warrant issued for speeding-related charges, which is the kind of thing that can spook a trade partner. The Commanders are not going to walk away from a deal over a traffic case, but it may give them leverage to push the price down.
Aiyuk is also coming off a torn ACL and MCL that ended his 2024 season. He has not played in nearly two full calendar years. His last full healthy season was 2023, when he caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns and made second-team All-Pro. That is the production a team is paying for, and it is also the production he has to prove he can replicate after a major knee surgery.
The Commanders have the cap space to make this work. They are still building around Daniels, and adding a true X receiver next to Terry McLaurin would give them a passing game that could compete with the best in the NFC East. The Eagles and Cowboys are both loaded at the receiver position, and Washington has been a step behind.
The 49ers have a different problem. Their wide receiver room is suddenly thin. Deebo Samuel is gone. Aiyuk wants out. Ricky Pearsall has shown flashes but is not ready to be the alpha. Jauan Jennings is a quality role player who would be miscast as the number one. Trading Aiyuk leaves Christian McCaffrey carrying even more of the offense.
That is part of why the 49ers have not pulled the trigger. Replacing Aiyuk’s production in free agency or the draft is going to be brutal. Shanahan would rather try to coach his way through one more season of an unhappy player than walk into camp with a depth chart full of question marks.
For Aiyuk, the social media play is risky. Some front offices view this kind of stuff as immature and use it against the player at the negotiating table. The Commanders are not going to hold it against him, but other teams considering joining the trade conversation might.
The 49ers should just do this deal. Aiyuk wants out. The Commanders want him in. The price has been negotiated for months. Pull the trigger, get the picks, and move on.
Otherwise, the hat is going to turn into a jersey at minicamp, and that is the kind of training camp drama nobody wants.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
