Seven landing spots for star NFL WR if he splits with team

AI-assisted summary
• The San Francisco 49ers voided the guaranteed money in wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s contract.
• Aiyuk has not instructed the NFLPA to file a grievance, suggesting he may want to leave the team.
• If released, Aiyuk would become a notable free agent in 2026 despite his injury and fractured relationship with the 49ers.

The 2026 NFL free agent class could be getting a notable and unexpected addition.

On Friday, The Athletic broke the news that the San Francisco 49ers had voided wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s contract guarantees and that the strained relationship between the two sides was likely to end in a split this offseason.

Coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Saturday that the 49ers in July voided the guaranteed money in the four-year, $120 million contract Aiyuk signed last August, though he added he was holding out hope that a reconciliation was possible.

‘I’ve been coaching over 20 years, and I’ve never been in a situation where a contract’s been voided,’ Shanahan said. ‘So it was extremely unusual to me.’

Shanahan declined to explain the reasoning for the move, saying only that Aiyuk missed meetings that happened while he continued to recover from the torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments he sustained last October. He said he believed Aiyuk could still return to action this season but acknowledged that the receiver had yet to be medically cleared.

‘I’m not getting much dialogue just personally between him and I and have been told that it’s week-to-week,’ Shanahan said. ‘So, each week I wait to see if he’s ready to come back for practice and haven’t got that answer yet.’

Aiyuk’s instruction to the NFL Players Association not to file a grievance on his behalf regarding the voided guarantees could be an indication that he’s seeking to fast-track a divorce from the team. Given how quickly things deteriorated between the star pass catcher and San Francisco, a parting of ways might be the most reasonable option.

If Aiyuk is released, he’d add intrigue to a free agency pool that looks light on difference-makers. It’s unclear exactly how teams would view a player coming off a major injury who also had a fractured relationship with his previous franchise, but Aiyuk led the 49ers in receiving yards in 2022 and ’23, posting a combined 2,357 in that span. At the time he signed his extension, Aiyuk became the sixth-highest-paid receiver in the NFL.

And in a league where players who can change the complexion of a passing attack command top dollar, Aiyuk should remain of great interest to several teams.

Here are seven possible landing spots for him in 2026 if he and the team part ways:

Washington Commanders

A potential reunion with Jayden Daniels, Aiyuk’s close friend and former teammate at Arizona State, surely drives this discourse. The receiver has previously stoked speculation of the two linking back up, and working with the talented young passer would clearly be a draw to a receiver in need of some career rehabilitation beyond the physical work he’s undergoing.

But Washington might also have the greatest incentive of any team to consider a partnership. General manager Adam Peters, who was part of the 49ers front office that drafted Aiyuk in 2020 and saw his rise, invested heavily in high-priced veterans this past offseason in an effort to push the Commanders over the top following their surprising run to the NFC championship game. The plan hardly panned out, as Washington has sunk to 3-8 as several problem areas of the roster have flared up. Chief among them is a receiving corps that offers essentially nothing outside of Terry McLaurin, who has played in just four games this season due to a nagging quad injury. Bringing aboard Aiyuk might be doubling down on that dubious strategy, but the Commanders clearly are hoping that a clean bill of health across the board can help the franchise return to its 2024 form.

Pittsburgh Steelers

They were at the forefront of trade talks regarding Aiyuk when the receiver and the 49ers appeared to be at an extension impasse in summer 2024, to the point that multiple reports indicated the Steelers had parameters of a trade in place with San Francisco had a contract not been reached. Of course, plenty has changed since then, with the team bringing aboard DK Metcalf and shipping out George Pickens to remake the receiving corps. And, of course, the offense pivoted to Aaron Rodgers, who has suggested this would be his final season but hasn’t made any firm public commitment as of yet.

If he recaptures his pre-injury form, Aiyuk could do plenty to help open up an aerial attack that operates almost exclusively in the underneath area, with Rodgers ranking 33rd among all quarterbacks with 5.9 average air yards per attempt, according to Next Gen Stats. But even Mike Tomlin’s willingness to put up with antics might have a limit in the post-Pickens world.

New England Patriots

Nearly two years after Eliot Wolf vowed to ‘weaponize the offense,’ the Patriots’ receiving corps probably isn’t striking fear in its opponents, even if it’s made great strides. New England might not want to radically overhaul the approach that has helped Drake Maye become one of the league’s best downfield passers, but it surely stands to reason that the team would benefit from another perimeter threat capable of capitalizing on the quarterback’s penchant for working vertically.

The Patriots were another team that hotly pursued an Aiyuk trade in 2024, but the wide receiver stiff-armed them – as well as the Cleveland Browns – given his disinterest in playing for an organization in turmoil. Things have changed considerably for New England since then, to the point that Aiyuk might be a luxury. Mike Vrabel has fared well with one combustible veteran wide receiver in Stefon Diggs, but would he be willing to push some boundaries and bring aboard another pass catcher with baggage?

Tennessee Titans

They need weapons for Cam Ward, and they’ll probably end up with more cap space – currently projected at league-high $109 million, according to Over the Cap – than they can spend on worthwhile free agents. Why not take a flier on Aiyuk? Maybe he has the same objections to a turbulent Titans franchise that he did with the Patriots and Browns. But he’d likely see a good volume of targets, and Ward is the kind of electric playmaker who could help Aiyuk get his career back on track.

Las Vegas Raiders

Same question applies: Will the last year-and-a-half change Aiyuk’s outlook on joining an organization in flux? With Sunday’s debacle against the Cleveland Browns and Chip Kelly’s firing representing new lows for the freshly installed regime, the Raiders look directionless. Like the Titans, however, they have a pressing need for an outside receiver and plenty of cap space to allot to resolving the issue. Maybe it’s an option if Aiyuk ends up needing to do a short-term stint somewhere to elevate his standing in the league.

Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta’s embattled leadership needs to get Michael Penix Jr.’s development plan going after the second-year quarterback delivered uninspiring results before succumbing to a season-ending knee injury. Aiyuk would complement big-bodied go-to target Drake London nicely and also give Penix an asset for racking up yards after the catch. With so much uncertain about the team’s near future, Atlanta might have more incentive than other franchises for a go-for-broke move.

Buffalo Bills

This is rooted in more fantasy football thinking than reality. Brandon Beane’s pursuit of Jaylen Waddle at the trade deadline indicates a shift in the general manager’s thinking, with Buffalo no longer able to ignore the lack of downfield weaponry for Josh Allen. Aiyuk’s ability to pull away from defenders would certainly stand out in an otherwise stagnant receiving corps. But given that the Bills are intent on sending a message to Keon Coleman by benching the second-year receiver for two games for a missed meeting, this addition might be a non-starter. The financial factor is also tricky, with Buffalo currently projected to be $3 million over the cap for 2026.