Commanders Plan B for Brandon Aiyuk looks more like Plan C or D

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has endured an offseason of twists and turns as he searches for a long-term contract extension. In an offseason that will be remembered for its historic wide receiver contracts, Aiyuk has been unable to ink the same lucrative deals that his peers have signed across the league, and the negotiations finally seem to have reached an impasse.

The Washington Commanders piqued Aiyuk's interest after they laid the foundation for a promising offense this offseason by selecting LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. During an appearance on "The Pivot" podcast in June, Aiyuk named the Commanders as one of three teams he could envision playing for in 2024, likely since Daniels is a long-time friend who played with Aiyuk at Arizona State University.

While it appears Aiyuk will be traded at some point before the regular season it likely won't be to Washington. The Commanders appear to have fallen out of the bidding for the second-team All-Pro wideout. Instead, the Commanders have turned their sights elsewhere in search of another weapon.

Commanders move on from Brandon Aiyuk to Martavis Bryant

The Commanders are bringing in free agent wide receiver Martavis Bryant for a workout on Tuesday, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The workout will be Bryant's second with the Commanders, as NFL Network's Tom Pelissero previously reported in May that Washington worked out the wideout.

Bryant was selected in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Clemson product flashed tremendous potential immediately, but his career was derailed by suspensions for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Bryant missed the first four games of the 2015 season before being suspended for the entire 2016 NFL season for his second violation of the policy. He was reinstated before the 2017 season and posted 50 receptions for 603 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Bryant had 126 receptions for 1,917 yards and 17 touchdowns through 36 games during his career in Pittsburgh, but he was traded to the then-Oakland Raiders in 2018. The Raiders released Bryant before the season due to his third violation of the substance abuse policy. He returned to the team a few days later, but he finished the season with just 19 receptions for 266 yards.

It's uncertain what the 32-year-old has left to offer, and he'd certainly be a disappointing consolation prize for Washington fans that were hoping to land Aiyuk. At 6-foot-4 and 211 pounds, Bryant once appeared to have all of the right tools to excel in the NFL. At this stage, he's a long shot to make any roster, especially since he has not played in an NFL game since 2018.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn, who previously served as the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator, likely became acquainted with the wide receiver last season. Bryant joined the Cowboys practice squad last season after he was reinstated from an indefinite suspension.

Washington's talented wide receiver room already features Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Dyami Brown, and Luke McCaffrey. Still, new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury knows Daniels will need as many weapons as possible as he develops and gets acclimated to the professional level.

Bryant tallied 145 catches for 2,183 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns during his tumultuous four-year career. If there's any chance he can return to form, it could be worth exploring.