ClutchPoints
There’s no doubt that 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk has brought trouble upon himself. Still, his desire to play with the Washington Commanders is well-advertised. However, the Commanders are making a huge mistake with the 49ers receiver.
To make a long story short, the 49ers are done with Aiyuk. But as of now, they control his future. Even to the point of possibly ruining what’s left of his career, according to Sports Illustrated.
“Aiyuk is due a roster bonus if he is on the team in September, but the Niners can put him on the did not report list,” Tom Jensen wrote. “He can report trying to force them to cut him, but the Niners can then put Aiyuk on the non-football injury list. He can demand a physical, but the Niners can reject it. The 49ers have the roster tools that can prevent Aiyuk from playing until his contract runs out at the end of 2028, in essence, ending his career.”
There are several reasons, but none are as urgent as losing Aiyuk to another team. Not to mention that one of those teams is the Commanders’ biggest rival. The Cowboys are rumored to have offered the 49ers a seventh-round pick for Aiyuk.
Let’s be honest about a seventh-round pick in the NFL Draft. It doesn’t matter that the 2027 draft is expected to be loaded. Potentially, it’s the best in many years.
However, that means first-round picks are extremely valuable. Second-round picks are more like late first-round picks. Third-round picks have inflated value. And fourth-round selections could still deliver the goods. Teams might get lucky in the fifth round at a slightly higher rate.
But that’s pretty much it. A sixth-round pick is still mostly yawn news. And seventh-round picks are shots in the dark. The Commanders are holding a seventh-round pick in their pocket as if it can change their organization.
Sure, they drafted Jacory Croskey-Merritt in the seventh round last year. He’s currently RB1 for them, heading into the 2026 season. But that’s blind luck. The 49ers getting quarterback Brock Purdy in the seventh round was blind luck. The same goes for the Patriots drafting Tom Brady in the sixth round back in the day.
The Commanders should surrender the seventh-round pick and get Aiyuk. And if they piddle around, they may find themselves in a spot where they can no longer get him.
Look at the Commanders’ receiver room. Terry McLaurin is still very good, but he’s very close to the end of his legitimate WR1 days. In fact, it could be obvious even as early as this year.
Expecting an elite season from McLaruin at age 31 is way more of a hope than a solid plan. And what is behind McLaurin?
They have Luke McCaffrey currently slotted at WR2. He hasn’t shown anything at a quality NFL level in two seasons....
