Brandon Aiyuk’s June social posts—starting with a photo wearing a Washington Commanders hat and followed by a cryptic video—arrive as the San Francisco 49ers continue to insist they would trade the disgruntled receiver rather than release him outright. The pub
Brandon Aiyuk didn’t wait for the trade market to start bubbling. On June 6, the 28-year-old receiver posted a picture of himself wearing a Washington Commanders hat to his Instagram story. The next day. he followed with a minute-and-a-half cryptic video on his account—one that didn’t name the 49ers. but landed squarely on the idea of an acrimonious split.
“The truth is, they’re scared,” Aiyuk said in the video. “They’re scared. They know how I get. They’re gonna say, ‘Oh yeah, BA did this. BA did that.’ You know that (expletive). Allegedly. Allegedly. But what they’re not gonna say is, ‘BA sucks at football,’ because they know how I get.”
He then added: “Man, stop running from the belt,” and, “The belt coming.”
The 49ers have not responded publicly to Aiyuk’s latest antics, and it isn’t clear whether they will. What is clearer is that Aiyuk wants out of San Francisco and may try to force clarity as the stalemate stretches into the summer.
The posts also come at a moment when the league is already moving on from the idea that Aiyuk’s future is tidy. Los Angeles is reshaping plans after offseason deals and title hopes. Washington’s roster needs a reliable secondary piece outside Terry McLaurin. And in San Francisco, leadership has been blunt that the partnership may already be nearing its end.
The receiver is still on the 49ers’ roster despite the organization communicating at the end of the 2025 season that it would likely part ways during the offseason.
The rupture that preceded the hat
The deterioration between Aiyuk and the 49ers didn’t start with Instagram. It sharpened during the 2025 season.
Aiyuk spent the early part of that year recovering from a torn ACL and MCL suffered in Week 7 of the 2024 campaign. He was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list at the start of the year and was expected to have a chance to return in the second half of the season.
At some point during the 2025 campaign, communication between the two sides broke down. Aiyuk “stopped answering anyone’s phone calls, including the head coach’s,” and the 49ers eventually voided remaining guarantees in the veteran’s contract because of his absence.
When asked about the situation, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said, “That’s something I’d never seen in 22 years of coaching.”
John Lynch, San Francisco’s general manager, was even more direct about where this was headed. On Jan. 21, when asked about Aiyuk’s future, Lynch told reporters, “I think it’s safe to say he’s played his last snap with the 49ers.”
Even after those comments. the 49ers have held onto Aiyuk and have been hoping a team will come calling in a trade. On April 26, after the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft, Lynch said, “We’re available. Give us a call. ” adding that “it’s the prudent thing to do.” He also called Aiyuk “an extremely talented player” and said the wide-out had been “an extremely effective player in our league. ” but that “situation didn’t work itself out here.” Lynch said the partnership could be “rekindled somewhere else. ” and that the team would be “happy to do something with anyone if the opportunity presented itself.”.
When Lynch was asked whether the 49ers would consider releasing Aiyuk if they couldn’t find a willing trade partner for the 2020 first-round pick, he said, “Not anytime soon.”
Where the Commanders fit—already, on paper
If San Francisco does move on from Aiyuk, the expectation is that Washington would be one of his top landing spots, a point his June social posts seemed designed to underline.
The Commanders have several notable connections to Aiyuk. General manager Adam Peters worked in San Francisco’s front office from 2017 to 2023. He was the team’s vice president of player personnel when the 49ers selected Aiyuk in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Aiyuk’s football overlap with Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels is even more direct. Aiyuk and Daniels overlapped during Daniels’ final season at Arizona State. Aiyuk served as Daniels’ No. 1 target and posted 65 catches for 1,192 yards and eight touchdowns while showing good chemistry with the then-true freshman quarterback.
That familiarity could matter quickly. The 2020 first-round pick is preparing to return from a year-and-a-half absence, and the Commanders’ roster still needs an established No. 2 receiver across from Terry McLaurin.
If Aiyuk is moved or cut, Washington is likely the team to watch first.
But the market doesn’t stop in one city
Aiyuk’s public frustration doesn’t guarantee a single destination. If he doesn’t land with the Commanders, several other teams could have interest—especially if the 49ers eventually cut their losses.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders’ connection to Aiyuk runs through coaching. Raiders coach Klint Kubiak spent the 2023 season as San Francisco’s passing game coordinator. During that stretch of Aiyuk’s career, he posted 75 catches for a career-best 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns and made the NFL’s All-Pro second team.
Beyond familiarity, the Raiders have a stated need for a No. 1 receiver to pair with Fernando Mendoza, and those needs could push Las Vegas to chase Aiyuk once he’s available.
Tennessee Titans
Tennessee has spent resources this offseason building around Cam Ward. The Titans signed Wan’Dale Robinson to a big-money free agent deal and used the No. 4 overall pick on Ohio State’s Carnell Tate to give Ward high-end weapons.
Still, the Titans could consider adding Aiyuk to ease Tate’s transition into the NFL and compete with veteran Calvin Ridley for playing time. Titans coach Robert Saleh overlapped with Aiyuk during both the 2020 and 2025 seasons, so their familiarity could help if Tennessee moves.
Kansas City Chiefs
Andy Reid has a reputation for giving players second chances, and Aiyuk could fit that instinct if he becomes a free agent. The Chiefs lost Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster in free agency, and Rashee Rice is again dealing with legal trouble.
Aiyuk is also framed as insurance for Rice, who has played just 12 games over the last two seasons due to injury and suspension. With Patrick Mahomes needing reliable targets, Aiyuk’s arrival would give another option in a fragile situation.
Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles already has one of the league’s best receiver duos in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Even so, the Rams are making an all-in push to win another Super Bowl with 38-year-old Matthew Stafford.
They could consider adding a better No. 3 receiver to join that duo. Aiyuk might want a bigger role than what the Rams could offer, but he could also like the idea of playing the 49ers twice a year while staying on a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
If Aiyuk’s No. 1 priority turns out to be that opportunity—rather than volume or scheme—Los Angeles could become a “sneaky-good fit.”
What the facts already make hard to ignore
Aiyuk’s June posts arrive on top of a chain of events the 49ers themselves described in blunt terms. A season that began with recovery from a torn ACL and MCL ended with communication breaking down. contract guarantees voided because of his absence. and leadership declaring on Jan. 21 that he had played his last snap with the team. Yet San Francisco has still said it is “available” for a trade and still has no interest in releasing him “anytime soon.” Now. Aiyuk is pointing toward Washington publicly while also hinting that the 49ers fear how he’ll be portrayed if they push the dispute back into the public eye.
Where things stand now
As the summer moves forward, the 49ers face the uncomfortable combination of keeping a disgruntled player on the roster while trying to avoid a messy release. Lynch’s stance—trade him, don’t rush a cut—puts pressure on the market to produce the right offer.
Aiyuk, for his part, is doing something teams can’t control: using social media to signal he wants out. A hat photo in Washington and a cryptic video about the truth of the situation may not force a trade overnight, but they ensure the tension doesn’t stay behind closed doors.
Brandon Aiyuk San Francisco 49ers Washington Commanders Jayden Daniels Adam Peters Kyle Shanahan John Lynch NFL trade receiver rumors Matthew Stafford Puka Nacua Davante Adams
Commanders hat?? Dude really snuck in the dagger before a trade even happens.
I dont get why everyone saying the 49ers are just “scared” like what even does that mean. Wearing a hat is not proof of anything lol. Also “stop running from the belt” sounds like he’s talking about his own contract??
So if they were gonna trade him, why is he wearing Washington stuff like he already signed somewhere? Seems like the 49ers are the ones holding up the deal, but then the article says they would trade not release. I’m confused. Maybe this is just for attention and the “belt” thing is like a drug reference or something idk.
“The belt coming” is such a weird line, sounds like he’s threatening to embarrass them on Sundays or whatever. And “they know how I get”?? Like who is “they,” coaches, reps, the whole organization. I feel like this is all PR games and both sides are scared, because if he really wanted out he would’ve just gone silent. Also Commanders hat… so dramatic for a guy who’s still a 49er.