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San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk

Just when the end seemed to be in sight to the dramatic, season-long saga between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, things got more complicated.

ESPN’s Nick Wagoner reported on the day free agency started back in March, that a divorce was expected in the coming days.

“With the new league year set to begin today, the #49ers plan to release WR Brandon Aiyuk,” Wagoner reported. “Could happen as soon as today, but certainly soon. … SF is expected to use post June 1 designation, which is why they had to wait until new league year begins.”

But multiple reports indicate the 49ers now plan to hold onto Aiyuk as long as possible in hopes of facilitating a trade instead of losing him for nothing.

Tampering May Be Going on Behind 49ers’ Backs

GettyThe San Francisco 49ers are hoping a team wants to trade for star WR Brandon Aiyuk

The Washington Commanders have been the betting favorite to land Aiyuk if he’s released or traded, and The Athletic’s Matt Barrows recently planted a small seed of doubt about whether or not the team is tampering with the All-Pro wideout.

“I think — it’s just my suspicion — that they feel like the Commanders are angling for Brandon Aiyuk, and you understand why,” Barrows stated. “Aiyuk wanted to be traded to the Commanders during their contract dispute. He is good friends with Jayden Daniels and Jayden Daniels has been communicating with Brandon Aiyuk throughout this whole weird — I call it ‘fade-pattern’ that he has run.

“It’s not technically tampering — I don’t think — if two buddies are texting each other, but it’s rubbing the 49ers the wrong way that he seems earmarked to go to this other team in this conference.”

While it’s unlikely the NFL will open a tampering investigation in this satiation because of Aiyuk and Daniels’ friendship, if it did, it could be costly.

The league has typically fined organizations anywhere from $25,000 up to $250,000 and taken away draft picks from teams found to have tampered with players.

49ers Are Putting Pressure on Commanders

GettyWashington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels is close fiends with Brandon Aiyuk

It’s no secret Washington is where Aiyuk wants to end up.

He and Daniels were teammates at Arizona State, and when the 49ers were entertaining trade offers for him two years ago, Aiyuk made it known he wanted to play with his former QB.

The bad news for Washington is that San Francisco knows this, and by not releasing Aiyuk, the 49ers are sending the message that acquiring him will cost them something — and if they don’t want to fork over a draft pick, another team might.

“The longer (Aiyuk) is held hostage — I think it puts pressure on the Commanders,” Barrows continued. “If the Commanders are, in fact, counting on or thinking about having Brandon Aiyuk as part of their wide receiving core — and they do need to add another receiver in Washington — the longer you hold him, the more nervous I think the Commanders get.

“They want him in the building, they want to see his knee, for example. They want that to happen sooner rather than later and if the 49ers are holding on to him, maybe that is an impetus to get a deal done.”

Michael Gallagher Michael Gallagher is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. He has more than a decade of experience working for both local and national news outlets covering the NFL, NHL, NBA, WNBA, college football, and MMA. His work has been featured in Newsweek, Yahoo Sports, Fox Sports, Athlon Sports, The Hockey News, the Nashville Scene, SB Nation, and Yardbarker. More about Michael Gallagher