The San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk may be close to a divorce, as the wide receiver was officially reinstated by the NFL. The next step is for the 49ers to either keep him on the roster, trade him, or release him. In the event that he's released, there seems to be an NFC team willing to take a flyer on him, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
“Sources: 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk passed his physical Monday and was officially reinstated. The next step is hoping for a release from San Francisco, and I’m told at least one NFC team has internally discussed the possibility of adding Aiyuk to its practice squad if and when that happens,” Schultz wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
At this moment, it's uncertain who that team could be, but it must be someone that needs help in their wide receiver room. One team that has seemed to have interest in Aiyuk prior to the season was the Washington Commanders, and they're still a team to watch, according to Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport.
“The Commanders haven't completely abandoned the idea of adding wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who was rumored during the summer to end up in Washington, according to sources,” Schefter and Rapoport wrote. “Before an Aiyuk deal could happen — if it were to happen — the organization would have to have discussions with multiple people. It's not a no, but it's also not a yes just yet.”
There are still some questions surrounding Aiyuk and his potential fit with the Commanders, especially since he had some things to say about Jayden Daniels on social media. If Daniels and the Commanders can get past that, it wouldn't be a surprise to see them sign Aiyuk.
Other than that, it'll be interesting to see who else has interest in him, as he hasn't played since 2024.