With each passing day, the San Francisco 49ers have to be more concerned about the feasibility of keeping their superstar receiver.
Though he has been present in camp and even made the trip to the 49ers' last preseason game in Las Vegas, Brandon Aiyuk has not been participating in practices or drills. With under two weeks to go before the season gets underway, San Francisco is up against the clock.
Will they be able to work out an extension that keeps Aiyuk in San Francisco beyond this season, the last on his rookie deal? That question becomes more paramount with each passing day, as the 49ers know their title window is open this season, but not forever.
As the standoff continues, it appears a new round of Washington Commanders buzz regarding Aiyuk is taking shape. NFL Network insider Peter Schrager took to X on Sunday to state why he thinks the Commanders should be in play for the 49ers superstar.
"Washington GM Adam Peters just spent 7 years in SF w/ John Lynch and was integral in SF 2020 Draft... Jayden Daniels’ go - to guy at ASU in 19? Brandon Ayiuk. 1,192 yards," Schrager said. "As much as PITT has gotten all the buzz, shouldn’t Wash/SF be talking?"
Aiyuk, 26, has been embroiled in a contract standoff with the 49ers practically since the confetti fell at the end of the Super Bowl. Combine the Dotson trade with Schrager making a point to connect the star to D.C., and it's worth wondering if the Commanders are considering an offer.
In response to Schrager's apparent speculation, 49ers insider Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area spelled out the return he believes it would take for Washington to seal the deal for Aiyuk.
"If Washington is back in play, it would take a 2nd, 3rd and maybe something else AND a contract Aiyuk would be willing to accept to finalize a deal," Maiocco said.
Though it's not entirely accurate to boil down the deals to something this simple, given that the Commanders got a third in the return for Dotson, they would have essentially traded Dotson and a second-round pick for Aiyuk, according to Maiocco's terms.
Seems... pretty affordable for an All-Pro at a game-breaking position on offense? Especially considering Aiyuk has an existing rapport with the rookie quarterback Washington hopes will be the future of its franchise?
There are still obvious hurdles to making a deal cross the finish line, but the Commanders should be pursuing the Aiyuk angle more and more with each passing day. They can afford to wait out the 49ers, given that their championship window hasn't yet begun to open.
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