Ian Rapoport sheds light on when 49ers’ standoff with Brandon Aiyuk could end originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Once considered one of the NFL’s most promising young wide receivers, 49ers pass catcher Brandon Aiyuk’s future in the league remains a mystery.
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While he accused San Francisco of “running from the belt” and being afraid to release him in an Instagram post on Sunday, general manager John Lynch has made it abundantly clear throughout the offseason that he hopes to trade him. So, when will this saga end, and when will Aiyuk return to the field? NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported on Monday that he doesn’t foresee a resolution anytime soon.
“I think we’d like to avoid some similar IG (Instagram) messaging from Brandon Aiyuk, we’d rather the situation be settled rather than having this drag on through the summer, but that’s the way I see this going,” Rapoport said. “First of all, he’s what the San Francisco 49ers would like; they have his rights, he’s not due any guaranteed money, he forfeited that by not showing up to his rehab. They would like to trade him, probably to the Commanders with his old friend Jayden Daniels. …
“They’re all staring at each other. There’s really no deadline to make a move at all, so until and unless everyone gets tired of Brandon Aiyuk sending Instagram messages, this is going to be a storyline that takes us through the summer.”
The Commanders have been linked to Aiyuk from what felt like the moment things started to go awry in San Francisco, with Rapoport reporting that the two teams were in somewhat of a “standoff” back in April.
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Similar to the issues the two parties were having around the time of the 2026 NFL Draft, Rapoport reported again on Monday that the Commanders would prefer the 49ers to release Aiyuk so they can sign him as a free agent. As Rapoport noted, it is a game of chicken with no timeline hanging over either party, so this could go on for a while.
As for Aiyuk, he has made it clear that he’d like to play for Washington, as the 28-year-old posted a picture on Instagram of him wearing a Commanders hat.
Aiyuk last played in 2024, which is when he tore both his ACL and MCL in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs. However, even before he opted to skip his rehab with the team and lose his guaranteed money, things got ugly in the offseason before his injury.
He and the 49ers engaged in a summer-long contract dispute that saw him request a trade before the two ultimately agreed to a four-year, $120 million extension.
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While Aiyuk seems to think his social media antics can expedite the process, neither party has budged thus far.
