Commanders might just trick themselves into thinking they can work with Brandon Aiyuk, but he’s still not worth the risk
As with any talented player, all it takes is for one NFL team to give them a shot. The Commanders have a strong culture that could hold Brandon Aiyuk accountable, but finding out isn’t worth the risk.
Yes, the Washington Commanders experience has been an up-and-down ride under Dan Quinn and Adam Peters.
But one trait has remained steadfast over the last two seasons: the culture.
Peters and Quinn have built –and in some cases maintained– a strong locker room since they arrived in 2024. Guys like Jayden Daniels, Terry McLaurin, Mike Sainristil, Sam Cosmi, Javon Kinlaw, Frankie Luvu, and even newcomers Sonny Styles and Leo Chenal all set an elite standard when it comes to preparation, performance, and handling both themselves and others in a professional manner.
And that’s what could end up being the deciding factor in eventually adding embattled wideout Brandon Aiyuk.
“What he’s done from a GM standpoint, from the outside looking in, what he’s done to the 9ers is embarrassing. Embarrassing,” former 49ers and Commanders GM Scot McCloughan recently told The Team 980. “And what you’re getting in your building is gonna be the same thing. There’ll be good days, there’s gonna be bad days. First year it’ll be fine, but then all of a sudden you get [in] the comfort zone, then you better hold on.
“If you have a locker room that can control that, then power to you, but if you don’t, he’ll eat you up.”
The Commanders can’t afford to go down this road with Brandon Aiyuk
Even if the Commanders do have the right guys to help mitigate any drama with Brandon Aiyuk, it’s still not worth the headache.
I mean think about it – do you want your players focusing on the task at hand or coddling/managing Aiyuk’s personality? He’s a reckless, ticking time bomb that could go off at any point for anything. That’s a Brandon Aiyuk issue, not a Commanders issue, and it’s better off staying that way as opposed to interfering with the ultimate goal of winning football games.
And as it’s been discussed, aplenty, over the last month or so, we don’t even know if Brandon Aiyuk can help the Commanders win games. It’s almost been two years since he played his last snap. The odds he makes an impact in 2026 are slim.
Honestly, he has better odds of becoming a problem than he does making an impact.
The Commanders have a good culture in place, so why bog it down with unnecessary baggage? You always want to have confidence in your team, but avoiding Aiyuk would not signal a lack of confidence, by any means. It would signal self-awareness and simple competence, ultimately.
There’s another layer to the Brandon Aiyuk saga, as well
It’s well-documented that Aiyuk has to apply for reinstatement, himself, before any progress is made regarding his situation with the 49ers. Nothing can happen until he puts in the leg work.
Well, the NFL is not under any obligation to reinstate him once that does happen and that’s because of his active arrest warrant. Aiyuk has since left California in an effort to evade the warrant that was put out for him after he filmed himself driving over 100 miles per hour in a 40 MPH zone by Levi’s Stadium.
So, he can apply for reinstatement, but it’s highly likely it won’t matter until he turns himself in to the proper authorities.
Regardless, it’s just a total mess and even if the Commanders have the means to keep it under control, they’re far better off focusing on the current roster and avoiding anything and everything that has to do with Brandon Aiyuk.