Aiyuk shouts 'Go Commanders' on Instagram, wants out
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- Brandon Aiyuk posted an Instagram Story on Sunday yelling "Go Commanders!" and shared a photo of Mark Rypien hoisting the Lombardi Trophy after Washington's Super Bowl XXVI win, his clearest public signal yet of a preferred trade destination.
- The 49ers have been at odds with Aiyuk for nearly a year, voiding the remaining guaranteed money in his four-year, $120 million extension last July after he did not participate in rehab for a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus in his right knee.
- The 49ers placed Aiyuk on the reserve/left team list in December after he stopped showing up at the facility, and GM John Lynch said in January it was "safe to say" Aiyuk had played his last snap for the team.
- Aiyuk's interest in Washington is tied to quarterback Jayden Daniels, his close friend and former Arizona State teammate — he has previously posted photos of himself in a Commanders hat and follows Daniels and the team on Instagram.
- Aiyuk called the 49ers "dumb" and "stupid" in early June Instagram videos, the first time he spoke out publicly, suggesting the team was afraid to release him because of how he might perform elsewhere.
- 49ers tight end George Kittle, on the "Pardon My Take" podcast, said Aiyuk "still got him" athletically — noting he once watched him run over 22 mph — but quipped that he "wouldn't be happy either" after a team paid him $130 million.
Why it matters: The 49ers have already voided Aiyuk's guaranteed money and placed him on the reserve/left team list, making a trade to Washington — his clearly stated preference — the most likely resolution of a contract standoff that has dragged on for nearly a year and cost San Francisco leverage.
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