George Kittle sounded upbeat about Brandon Aiyuk’s health, but his comments also underlined the baggage that has followed the 49ers wide receiver—setting up fresh uncertainty for the Washington Commanders’ potential pursuit.
George Kittle didn’t start his Monday interview with a trade pitch. He started with relief.
On the Barstool Sports podcast “Pardon My Take. ” in an episode that aired Monday. June 22. the San Francisco 49ers tight end shared that he was feeling great during his recovery and. during the same conversation. offered an encouraging update on Brandon Aiyuk’s condition. Kittle said the last time he saw Aiyuk—around October of last year—the wide receiver appeared healthy.
Kittle also described why that matters now. Aiyuk had missed the back half of the 2024 season and the first few games of the 2025 season after injuring his knee in a Week 7 game. Kittle said he saw Aiyuk on the field and running some time between Week 6 and Week 8 of the 2025 season.
But the glow of that update cooled fast. Even as Kittle said he watched Aiyuk run “over 22 miles an hour and stop on a dime,” his next point was unmistakable: getting Aiyuk comes with complications.
In the 49ers’ timeline, Aiyuk’s late-2025 health picture didn’t turn into regular-season games. Despite the apparent readiness early in the 2025 season, he never appeared in a game for the 49ers in 2025. By the end of November last year. the 28-year-old receiver’s failure to report for team meetings and activities led San Francisco to void the guaranteed money on his contract for 2026.
That split between what Kittle saw on a field and what happened in games has become the center of a growing storyline around Aiyuk’s next move.
On Jan. 21, 49ers general manager John Lynch spoke with the kind of finality that made headlines. He said. “I think it’s safe to say [Aiyuk]’s played his last snap with the 49ers.” Kittle didn’t dispute that reality—he mocked it. lightly at first. and then with more bite. “Have fun with that. I guess. ” Kittle told PFT Commenter. a Commanders fan and co-host of “Pardon My Take.” He added. “You have fun with all that comes with [having Aiyuk on the team].”.
Aiyuk has helped keep the conversation pointed toward Washington. On Sunday. June 21. he posted a video on social media showing him chanting “Go Commanders!” It was not a standalone gesture; the comments on the “Pardon My Take” episode framed it as part of a sequence of appeals the receiver has made to Washington to acquire him.
Those appeals, though, run into the contract mechanics of the modern NFL. Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension with San Francisco in 2024 that runs through the 2028 season. Even with the voided guaranteed money for 2026 and Aiyuk’s placement on the team’s reserve/left squad list. he still remains under contract with the 49ers.
For the Commanders—or any other team—to actually make that “Go Commanders!” moment turn into roster reality, they would need a trade to acquire him, or they would need to wait for his release and hope to sign him as a free agent.
Aiyuk’s value is not in question, even if the situation around him is. He was a first-round pick by the 49ers in the 2020 NFL Draft. In his first four seasons with San Francisco, he recorded 269 catches for 3,931 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Kittle’s frustration didn’t erase the talent. Toward the end of his June 22 appearance, he still acknowledged Aiyuk’s ability. “He’s an alien, for sure,” Kittle said.
The sequence is tight and hard to miss: Kittle describes Aiyuk running sharply between Week 6 and Week 8 of the 2025 season. yet the wide receiver never appeared in a game for the 49ers in 2025 and later had guaranteed money voided for 2026 after missing meetings and activities. Lynch then effectively closed the door in January. while Aiyuk’s recent “Go Commanders!” chant keeps the Washington connection alive—right up until a trade or a release makes it real.
George Kittle Brandon Aiyuk Washington Commanders San Francisco 49ers NFL offseason trade speculation John Lynch contract extension Pardon My Take