Commanders’ silence is deafening when it comes to Brandon Aiyuk and it gives the vibe they’re heading toward disaster
Dan Quinn was asked about Brandon Aiyuk’s recent antics ahead of Tuesday’s OTAs and instead of making a profound statement, he respectfully declined to comment. It gives the feeling the team is still interested in the controversial receiver.
Many people still believe Brandon Aiyuk’s future is in Washington with the Commanders, despite his recent antics and arrest warrant.
Dan Quinn was asked about as much on Tuesday, but he declined to comment, which is understandable. Aiyuk is in a toxic position, right now, and the Commanders could get viewed in a negative light if they publicly admit interest.
On the flip side, however, Adam Peters could come out and voluntarily say the team has no interest in Aiyuk and that’s that. It would end the conversation and put the focus back on the players that are actually on the Commanders roster.
It’s kind of odd, honestly, and it definitely leaves the door open for Aiyuk to join the Commanders, eventually. That would be a bad move on Peters’ part. Aiyuk clearly isn’t a culture fit for this team. His lack of judgment, poor decision-making, and willingness to air dirty laundry and throw the 49ers under the bus are personality traits no NFL team wants unless the player is just supremely talented and can still play at a high level.
And even then, one can argue it’s still not worth the headache.
But that’s the key in all this with Aiyuk: The dude hasn’t played football in over a year-and-a-half and completely missed the entire 2025 season. No one actually knows if he can return to the 2023 form that saw him rack up 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns.
So, why even think about running the risk with Aiyuk? Sure, it’s basically guaranteed the 49ers will release him before the $27 million he’s owed in 2026 comes due. That would likely lead to a one-year deal laden with incentives wherever he goes next. It’s currently hard to gauge the actual base amount of said deal, but it frankly should be veteran minimum, if I’m an NFL GM.
And knowing how Aiyuk operates – would he even accept that? Especially after he was slated to make $27 million? It would immediately put the relationship with his new team in odd standing, even if he’s the one accepting it.
Where does it go from there? If I had to bet, my money would go toward the side of him being a non-factor, whether it’s through personal reasons or if the fact he’s still trying to get his sea legs under him after missing so much time.
There’s also the fact that at this point, Aiyuk would miss a giant chunk of the offseason program. Yes, training camp matters most, but OTAs and minicamp are all about crafting technique, building camaraderie, and learning the playbook.
Those are all factors that can help someone like him get back on his feet. Yet, he’s going to miss all of it if something doesn’t happen by the beginning of next week.
Either way, this is not a road the Commanders should want to travel down, but we don’t know if they feel the same because they haven’t definitively said anything on the matter.
No one is saying Peters needs to hold a press conference regarding Aiyuk or anything even close to that. However, GMs are smart. He knows there’s a way to get the message across in effective fashion without spending too much energy and effort.
The fact of the matter stands. The Commanders can end the speculation themselves or let it continue. If it’s the latter and they are in fact interested to where they roll the dice, well, all I can say is good luck.