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Washington Commanders Evaluating WR Market, But Not Brandon Aiyuk
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- Washington Commanders Evaluating WR Market, But Not Brandon Aiyuk
(Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA)
The Washington Commanders stabilized their wide receiver room ahead of the regular season after signing veteran free agent Stefon Diggs to give them a dependable weapon alongside Terry McLaurin to bolster the weapons around quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Fast forward to week nine, the wide receiver room has a different picture.
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With McLaurin now sidelined for the remainder of the regular season, Diggs has stepped up as the primary receiver where he has drawn both the most targets (44) and receptions (27) on the Commanders through seven games, in addition to ranked tied for sixth across the NFL with five receiving touchdowns to eclipse last season's total. Rookie Antonio Williams had a chance to step up into an even bigger role with McLaurin sidelined as he now sits with a team-high 259 receiving yards in 2026. Treylon Burks flashed with a 53 yard catch against the Philadelphia Eagles, while tight end Chig Okonkwo has flashed as a dependable weapon, days removed from a highlight-reel third down catch after eclipsing 60 receiving yards in consecutive games.
Yet the Commanders are also reportedly exploring interest in the trade market at the position with Dan Graziano of ESPN noting that general manager Adam Peters has done his homework. Washington has been loosely linked to Josh Downs, who the Indianapolis Colts are reportedly eyeing a fourth round pick for, along with Brian Thomas Jr., the Jacksonville Jaguars' wide receiver who played with Jayden Daniels for two seasons at LSU. Thomas has been tied to trade rumors for the bulk of the last two seasons where he has logged just ten catches through seven games.
One target that Washington is not expected to pursue, though, is wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. After months of no news, Aiyuk has now filed to be reinstated and plans to report to the San Francisco 49ers on Friday, marking an official and abrupt announcement to the next phase of his return to play. What the 49ers opt to do remains unclear after general manager John Lynch previously pointed to the trade market as the preferred route, but the Commanders are not expected to pursue after an offseason filled with noise and daily updates via social media.
Aiyuk has not appeared in an NFL game in over two years after suffering a season-ending injury midway through the 2024 season, adding questions about his ability to make an impact midway through the 2026 regular season in addition to the questions off the field.
