The Washington Commanders have already got plenty of reasons to keep away from including large receiver Brandon Aiyuk. He gave them one other one on Saturday.
Aiyuk continues to be a member of the San Francisco 49ers however stays on the group’s reserve/left squad checklist (gamers who left the group for non-football causes). All through the offseason, he has been petitioning the Commanders to commerce for or signal him after he is reinstated. Apparently, he nonetheless hasn’t filed the mandatory paperwork.
As a part of his marketing campaign, he has posted a number of weird social media clips. His latest clip ought to solely harm his slim probabilities of touchdown in Washington.
Brandon Aiyuk berates Commanders QB Jayden Daniels on social media
Aiyuk directed a number of Instagram posts at Daniels on Saturday. The messages are probably tied to a clip of a fan yelling on the Commanders QB, “F— Brandon Aiyuk,” throughout a FIFA World Cup sport. The signal-caller chuckled on the joke.
“You on my group now. You comply with my guidelines. Boy, I am a grown a– man, boy,” Aiyuk said (h/t Professional Soccer Discuss’s Mike Florio). “You gonna need to cease operating to your mama and I’d imagine what you are speaking about. However till then, [no].”
Then, in what could have been an try and make amends, Aiyuk posted one other video with no audio. He held a pair of sneakers behind a graphic that stated: “Let’s run it 5! Let’s examine! Want you obtainable all [season] and I will do the identical.”
That did not work. The WR and QB subsequently unfollowed one another on Instagram. Daniels then posted a picture of NBA star Kevin Durant with two thumbs down.
Whereas it is unclear whether or not it was directed to Aiyuk, Daniels’ publish ought to nonetheless ship a transparent message to the Commanders: He would not need the group so as to add his former Arizona State Sun Devils teammate. That is utterly comprehensible.
“[Aiyuk] continues to nuke his job prospects at this level,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said Sunday on “SportsCenter” (h/t Bleacher Report’s Doric Sam). “I’ve talked to a number of groups about Brandon Aiyuk, attempting to present him the advantage of the doubt. Is there any kind of sound technique he is using right here? And so they cannot consider something aside from it’s simply kind of insensible.”
Why Commanders ought to keep away from a Jayden Daniels-Brandon Aiyuk reunion
Even earlier than the social media tiff with Daniels, there was little incentive for the Commanders to commerce for or signal Aiyuk as a free agent. The 2023 second-team All-Professional hasn’t performed since struggling an ACL/MCL/meniscus tear in his proper knee in October 2024.
He might not be the identical after the career-altering harm. Aiyuk rehabbed independently amid his ongoing feud with the 49ers. He could not have obtained the identical degree of care he would’ve with a well-trained NFL workers.
And even when he have been wholesome, it might nonetheless be a mistake for the Commanders so as to add the WR. He is already beefing with the franchise QB. They could not instantly put it apart in the event that they have been to develop into teammates. That stress would probably fracture the locker room.
The Commanders have already got sufficient issues after going 5-12 and lacking the playoffs final season. Throwing Aiyuk into the combination would create one other.
