The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[DWinzit]

I didn't say he would be WR2. I said that he would be a really good get paired with an outside starting WR, whoever that is. I'm assuming (because everybody else is assuming) that Aiyuk will be here. I also think they're going to get somebody else.

I agree that they need to sign somebody else to play outside.

But Deebo would clearly be better than anybody else on the roster after Terry right now. So he would be getting a lot of snaps, hopefully moving around a bunch and used the way he was supposed to be used last year but couldn't be because of injury.

Got it. It would be an amazing WR group to go with Chig and Sinnott being used differently, a good Ekeler replacement I White and whoever else is added

 

[Dah-Dee]

I suspect AP wants Jennings as the #2, plans to sign Aiyuk as the #3. I think Deebo is only in the 2026 picture if Jennings goes elsewhere, in which case Aiyuk/Deebo could be the #2a and #2b in whatever order.

I think no matter what happens, Lane/McCaffrey/Burks will be fighting for at most two spots, with at least one rookie WR on the roster. My guess is Lane will make the roster because of his punt return skills and despite the iffy hands he showed in 2025; McCaffrey will start back up where he left off before the injury, with great speed, hands and separation; and the Commanders will try to slip Burks onto the PS.

 

[aledb11]

Wow. Deal for White is 1 year at $2M

 

[Dlts20]

This really doesn’t feel like a bluff, they definitely are not taking offers on this kid

He trades him now, he looks like not just a liar but an asshole

I mean they have up the farm to get Hunter, who didn't prove himself as a viable receiving option, had a major injury, and now all reports say that he will be a full time corner this season so they almost have to keep Brian and hope that he bounces back

 

[DWinzit]

Eagles signed CB Jonathan Jones, formerly of the Commanders, to a one-year contract.

Jones, 32, spent the first nine seasons of his career playing for the Patriots. He spent his first season away from New England by playing for the Commanders last year. PFF credits him with five forced incompletions and a 58.5 percent catch rate allowed in 2025.

Transaction
5m ago
Source: Ian Rapoport

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

The 49ers can choose to not release Aiyuk until the end of time. He's on the Did Not Report / Retired List. He takes up no roster space and has zero cap hit.

Aiyuk and his agent could have contested that, but did not.

He might just be done with football.

 

[Dah-Dee]

Brandon Aiyuk's former coach warns teams about signing 49ers WR

The San Francisco 49ers are expected to release wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who hasn't played since October 2024.

www.newsweek.com

Former Pro Bowl wide receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh, who has worked as Aiyuk's personal receiving coach, offered advice to Washington or any NFL team considering signing Aiyuk.

"I know him very well, but I haven't spoken with him in a while," Houshmandzadeh said on Speakeasy. "Yes, [teams] should want him, but you've got to be careful. I like B.A., but I said this last week about Stefon Diggs — and this normally only happens when a player starts to get older. B.A. is still really young, fast, quick, explosive. But what he did last year is kind of crazy."

Houshmandzadeh continued:

"You've got all this guaranteed money. You ain't showing up. You're getting fined, and you basically forego — what was it? Over $30 million? If you're a team, and you give him a good contract, is this what you're going to get? Because this is what he has shown us. He signed his deal with the Niners. Bad luck. He gets hurt. Don't want that. But it's how he handled everything after that. Yes, he's going to get signed. But if you're a team, you've got to structure that contract the right way. You've got to make sure that you protect yourself because of what he's shown you to be.
You know John Lynch and [49ers head coach] Kyle Shanahan are talking to their people across the NFL. Telling them everything that went down and how it occurred. So, yes, I would want him on my team. I would. But it's got to be at the right price. I've got to make sure financially that we are protected as a team, an organization, because I've just never seen anybody do this at so young of an age. He's got so many years ahead of him. I've never seen this."

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

The 49ers can choose to not release Aiyuk until the end of time. He's on the Did Not Report / Retired List. He takes up no roster space and has zero cap hit.

Aiyuk and his agent could have contested that, but did not.

He might just be done with football.

It’s possible. But I doubt it. I think if that possibility was out there somebody national would have reported it.

I think they want somebody to blink and give them a pick.

I don’t think anybody is going to. Maybe we give up a 2027 7th, but I’d have to look at what that means from a contextual perspective. I can’t imagine any team wants to take on an existing contract.

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

I'm with consensus here. Even though our WR room is bleak, and even if we are unable to sign Jennings, I would still go Love over a WR. Failure at drafting is taking a lesser talent just because you need to.

If Love comes here and is as amazing for us as he was in college, we can lean on the ground game and a play action passing game with Chig/Terry to keep our record good enough (assuming the defense plays as rebuilt as it looks). After that, we could trade for a WR mid-season. The Jags traded a 4th and a 6th for Jakobi Meyers and that fixed their offense mid-season.

It's not preferable, but it's still possible to add to the WR room in October, for a WR2/3. Someone of Love's caliber won't ever be available mid-season though.

 

[Always Commander Never Captain]

Brandon Aiyuk's former coach warns teams about signing 49ers WR

The San Francisco 49ers are expected to release wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who hasn't played since October 2024.

www.newsweek.com

Former Pro Bowl wide receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh, who has worked as Aiyuk's personal receiving coach, offered advice to Washington or any NFL team considering signing Aiyuk.

"I know him very well, but I haven't spoken with him in a while," Houshmandzadeh said on Speakeasy. "Yes, [teams] should want him, but you've got to be careful. I like B.A., but I said this last week about Stefon Diggs — and this normally only happens when a player starts to get older. B.A. is still really young, fast, quick, explosive. But what he did last year is kind of crazy."

Houshmandzadeh continued:

Huh, that's a new tidbit. People here have been saying Houshmandzedah was currently working with him. But the "haven't spoken to him in awhile" part is huge.

Nobody knows anything about Aiyuk right now.

 

[skinsinparadise]

 

[Boone]

I think if it were up to just Adam Peters, they'd steer clear of Aiyuk just based on his behavior last year. But you've got your superstar franchise QB telling you 'he's great - he won't act out with me here - trust me, we need him'. That makes it an entirely different situation imho.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

I think if it were up to just Adam Peters, they'd steer clear of Aiyuk just based on his behavior last year. But you've got your superstar franchise QB telling you 'he's great - he won't act out with me here - trust me, we need him'. That makes it an entirely different situation imho.

I trust Peter’s to know when to tune out a 25 year old’s opinion.

Peters knows Aiyuk.

If he thinks Aiyuk is a cancer or could wreck the locker room, I trust he will just find a way to not make it happen.

On the other hand, if he thinks things just went wonky and they can put the right situation around Aiyuk and control him, then he’ll do it.

We’ll see.

I do trust Peter’s in this though especially since he knows the player really well .

 

[RWJ]

I would have liked to have seen AP sign White for 2 years vs 1 but happy to have him onboard.

 

[Boone]

I trust Peter’s to know when to tune out a 25 year old’s opinion.

Peters knows Aiyuk.

If he thinks Aiyuk is a cancer or could wreck the locker room, I trust he will just find a way to not make it happen.

On the other hand, if he thinks things just went wonky and they can put the right situation around Aiyuk and control him, then he’ll do it.

We’ll see.

I do trust Peter’s in this though especially since he knows the player really well .

Yes - Peters does know him and that's a good point. I agree if Peters thinks it's a bad idea, he will likely ignore Jayden on that topic. I'm more saying that if Aiyuk really wants to come here because his bestie is the QB, it might serve to blunt his behavioral issues and improve his attitude and judgement. I have no opinion on whether it would be worth the risk but I'm sure Peters does.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

I would have liked to have seen AP sign White for 2 years vs 1 but happy to have him onboard.

Eh. I don’t know that I even have an opinion.

I don’t have a problem with 1 year at all. Or 2. Or hell, getting crazy, a non-guaranteed 3rd year.

It’s very likely, and almost assuredly, that White wanted 1 year. If he has a good season, he hits FA again and has another shot at a bigger deal.

 

[clskinsfan]

I mean WTF? Dude wanted to play here. And that salary has no impact on us taking Love. In fact I bet they told him so. No roster security at all. "You wanna play with JD?" kind of thing...

 

[MartinC]

Running backs just don’t get paid in this league beyond their rookie deals unless they are truly elite.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Yes - Peters does know him and that's a good point. I agree if Peters thinks it's a bad idea, he will likely ignore Jayden on that topic. I'm more saying that if Aiyuk really wants to come here because his bestie is the QB, it might serve to blunt his behavioral issues and improve his attitude and judgement. I have no opinion on whether it would be worth the risk but I'm sure Peters does.

I agree, peters is probably the best positioned person to judge the risk.

It’s kidof bizarre the SF WR wants to come to Washington to play with his friend and the FO person who evaluated him happens to be the GM.

Of Peters was in Detroit and we had some other dude who didn’t know Aiyuk at all, I think It would be a 100% hard pass for me.

The only reason I’m open to the idea is Peters knows him and I trust Peters not to intentionally destroy the team chemistry.

 

[Skinfanjon]

I'm with consensus here. Even though our WR room is bleak, and even if we are unable to sign Jennings, I would still go Love over a WR. Failure at drafting is taking a lesser talent just because you need to.

If Love comes here and is as amazing for us as he was in college, we can lean on the ground game and a play action passing game with Chig/Terry to keep our record good enough (assuming the defense plays as rebuilt as it looks). After that, we could trade for a WR mid-season. The Jags traded a 4th and a 6th for Jakobi Meyers and that fixed their offense mid-season.

It's not preferable, but it's still possible to add to the WR room in October, for a WR2/3. Someone of Love's caliber won't ever be available mid-season though.

It’s a fun debate and thought process, but it’s ultimately pointless imo. There’s almost no chance they are both available to us to choose from. I’m just hoping one of them will still be there and sprint to the podium if so.

I’m not sure which I’d choose tbh. Can easily see both sides.