Santa Clara, California, April 28, 2026, 12:23 (PDT)
The San Francisco 49ers have again put Brandon Aiyuk on the trade block, with general manager John Lynch saying after the NFL Draft that the club remains open for calls on the wide receiver and is not planning to release him soon. “We’re available. Give us a call,” Lynch said, adding that Aiyuk is “an extremely talented player” whose situation “didn’t work itself out here.” Nfl
The timing matters because the draft passed without a deal, removing the cleanest route for San Francisco to get immediate pick compensation. Aiyuk now sits in a slower market, with training camp and a Sept. 1 option bonus — a scheduled contract payment — looming as the next pressure points.
It also matters for Washington. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said during draft coverage that the Commanders are expected to have “significant interest,” while the 49ers are trying not to hand them Aiyuk for nothing. Rapoport added: “My belief, eventually, is that Aiyuk will be playing with his good friend Jayden Daniels for the Commanders.” 49ers Webzone
The problem is price, process and trust. ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on “The Pat McAfee Show” that teams have struggled to reach Aiyuk and do not want to take on his current contract without being able to discuss it with him first. “The issue is, teams don’t want to trade for that contract,” Schefter said, “and they don’t want to trade for that contract when they can’t even discuss it with Brandon Aiyuk.” NBC Sports Bay Area
Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million extension with San Francisco in August 2024 after a tense contract cycle. At the time, Lynch called him “a special talent,” and the team noted Aiyuk’s 2023 season: 75 catches, 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. San Francisco 49ers
That version of Aiyuk has not been seen for a while. Reuters reported in November that the 49ers voided his 2026 guarantees after he had not met the requirements of his deal, and said Aiyuk had not played since a serious right knee injury in October 2024.
The 49ers later placed Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list, a move that ended his 2025 season before he played a snap. NFL.com said the designation came after Aiyuk had spent the year on the physically unable to perform list because of the 2024 knee injury.
San Francisco has also moved on in its receiver room. The team signed Mike Evans to a three-year deal in March, brought in Christian Kirk on a one-year contract and used the No. 33 pick in the draft on Ole Miss wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling.
That makes the competitive fit clearer but not simple. Washington has the quarterback link through Daniels, Aiyuk’s former Arizona State teammate, while San Francisco has little reason to rush if it believes the Commanders or another receiver-needy team will eventually blink.
The risk is that nobody does. Aiyuk’s 2026 cash payout is listed at $27 million by Over The Cap, and a trade before June 1 would leave San Francisco with far more dead money than a post-June 1 move. Dead money is cap space charged to a team for a player no longer on its roster.
For now, Lynch has chosen delay over surrender. That may preserve leverage, but it also keeps a damaged relationship on the books and leaves Aiyuk’s next team — Washington or someone else — waiting for a cleaner number, a cleaner conversation and perhaps one more call.
