Grading a Commanders-49ers trade to finally bring Brandon Aiyuk to Washington DC

The lull period of the NFL offseason between the end of mandatory minicamp and the beginning of training camp can be a drag. However, it also marks a fascinating juncture for player movement across the league.

So, Bleacher Report's Ryan Fowler crafted four firework trade ideas that would transform the 2024 campaign. But for this writing, we will focus on one of the hypothetical deals he proposed, involving disgruntled San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

There is plenty of buzz surrounding Aiyuk and where he end up next season, though he is currently under contract with the 49ers. Entering the final year of his rookie deal, San Francisco is seemingly reluctant to meet his contractual demands. Naturally, this has prompted the idea of him playing elsewhere as soon as next season, with the Washington Commanders being labeled a potential landing spot. 

With that in mind, Fowler formulated a swap between the Commanders and Niners, sending Aiyuk to Washington for premium draft capital. Here, we will grade the transaction from the perspective of both sides.

Grading a Commanders-49ers trade that finally sends Brandon Aiyuk to Washington D.C.

Fowler has the Commanders giving a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 third-rounder to San Francisco for Aiyuk. Nonetheless, he prefaces his explanation of the move by stating that "recent news has indicated" the wideout will presumably remain with the 49ers.

Aiyuk set the football world ablaze less than a month by posting a cryptic TikTok video. He revealed a clip of a conversation between him and Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, making Washington fans salivate.

The Aiyuk-Daniels connection dates back to 2019 when the two spent one collegiate year together at Arizona State. They had a mind-melding chemistry, which seems to have lasting power based on their present-day relationship.

On June 28, Aiyuk appeared on The Pivot Podcast to discuss his future with the 49ers. Amid the uncertainty and speculation, he brought Daniels to be on set.

Washington already has a talented receiving trio consisting of Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and rookie Luke McCaffrey. But adding Aiyuk would give them a bonafide alpha to round out the exciting group. 

Moreover, as Fowler points out, the Commanders currently have excess cap space and are projected to in 2025. As a result, this makes the acquisition of Aiyuk easy to facilitate. Regardless, it takes two to tango, and it's hard to envision the Niners getting enticed by draft picks.

San Francisco is an organization with Super Bowl aspirations. Giving up a high-impact player at such a valuable position for future assets doesn't move the needle and takes them further from contention. Meanwhile, the contractual stalemate continues. Maybe the 49ers will reach a point where they feel like moving on from Aiyuk is the only option.

Overall, this would be a home run for the Commanders, putting Daniels in a position to succeed while reuniting him with a former teammate/friend. Conversely, it would put the 49ers in a challenging position to replace Aiyuk's production.

Washington Commanders trade grade: A- | San Francisco 49ers trade grade: C+