The Washington Commanders traded 2022 first-round pick Jahan Dotson on Thursday, which immediately led many to wonder if they would be back in pursuit of 49ers star Brandon Aiyuk.
Aiyuk has been linked to Washington since April when the Commanders selected his good friend, Jayden Daniels, second overall in the 2024 NFL draft. Washington was interested in Aiyuk, but that interest appeared in the past as the Steelers, Browns, and Patriots emerged as potential landing spots.
However, Aiyuk wanted nothing to do with Cleveland or New England, even with a new contract, and the Steelers and 49ers couldn’t agree to a deal.
On Thursday, Mike Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle said not to count out Washington.
Could the Commanders be involved with San Francisco again? Remember, Washington general manager Adam Peters spent the past seven years with the 49ers, so who’s to say Peters hasn’t been checking in with San Francisco GM John Lynch all along?
Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team explained why trade talks between the Commanders and 49ers broke down. We’ll share the video, but essentially, there were three non-starters on Washington’s end:
- The 49ers wanted Terry McLaurin in return. That wasn’t happening.
- The Niners did not want Jahan Dotson.
- And if no receiver was going to them in the trade, the 49ers wanted a first-round pick, which was a deal-breaker for Peters.
Has San Francisco’s demands changed since we are closing in on the start of the season? Are the 49ers, a legit Super Bowl contender, tired of dealing with the Aiyuk situation and more desperate to make something happen?
Over the next couple of days, we'll be watching to see if the #Commanders try to add another WR after trading Jahan Dotson, who wasn’t a good fit for them.
Full 15-minute daily show (8/23/24):
A: https://t.co/yiUdzoTDgp
S: https://t.co/98ZekENzTy pic.twitter.com/Hkdu6HvyeU— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 23, 2024
One way or the other, this should be resolved soon.