The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[skinsinparadise]

I really wish we would come out and just say “We don’t have internet in signing Aiyuk.”

And then let that be that.

At this point, I’d be more than willing to ride with what we have than allow Aiyuk to continue to use our team in his ridiculous deranged social media campaign.

If he gets released, and they want to sign him, wait until the season and put him on the practice squad to see what he can do.

We need this headache like an Eskimo needs an ice machine.

As Grant Paulsen said the other day and he doesn't want Aiyuk, he strongly believes if this team wasn't interested, they'd have leaked that disinterest. Standig said something similar. all the beat guys believe this team wants Aiyuk.

For me, I buy that but also buy it can change factoring Aiyuk's nonstop antics plus we don't know if he has the wherewithal to get reinstated to play.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

As Grant Paulsen said the other day and he doesn't want Aiyuk, he strongly believes if this team wasn't interested, they'd have leaked that disinterest. Standig said something similar. all the beat guys believe this team wants Aiyuk.

For me, I buy that but also buy it can change factoring Aiyuk's nonstop antics plus we don't know if he has the wherewithal to get reinstated to play.

Schefter reported the other day that he talked to the commanders before the draft, and there had questions then.

If they had those questions then, I can't imagine what the questions are now.

There are a number of reasons not to leak out they don't want Aiyuk.

But my post really wasn't what I think they want or don't want to do. It's what I want to do. I don't want any part of that shit show anywhere near our team.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

No one would believe they don’t have internet. 😉

That said…he’s moving around pretty well in the 2nd vid. 😎

Especially with all the data centers in Loudon County!

 

[skinsinparadise]

Schefter reported the other day that he talked to the commanders before the draft, and there had questions then.

If they had those questions then, I can't imagine what the questions are now.

There are a number of reasons not to leak out they don't want Aiyuk.

But my post really wasn't what I think they want or don't want to do. It's what I want to do. I don't want any part of that shit show anywhere near our team.

I follow, Schefter is unsure. Here's what he wrote today. But its rare for every guy who covers the team to agree on one point, so I am betting there is at least a fighting chance it happens. But that presumes Aiyuk even knows how to free himself to make it happen.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49199010/brandon-aiyuk-blames-ex-agent-push-leaves-49ers-continues

It's unclear whether the Commanders would have interest in signing Aiyuk. Because he is still under contract with the 49ers, the Commanders can't publicly express interest in the wide receiver without violating the NFL's tampering rules.

 

[HTTR]

LOL crazy! I guess. But then again this seems to be how many in his generation act, speak, and deal with disagreements. For me, unless it’s all a show the guy seems completely insane. But I’m in my late 50s. I wonder if the players see it differently and don’t think it’s a big deal. I’d love to hear what Jayden thinks about it, but I doubt we will. I suppose we’ll get the answer to that question when we sign him or not.

 

[DWinzit]

Schefter reported the other day that he talked to the commanders before the draft, and there had questions then.

If they had those questions then, I can't imagine what the questions are now.

There are a number of reasons not to leak out they don't want Aiyuk.

But my post really wasn't what I think they want or don't want to do. It's what I want to do. I don't want any part of that shit show anywhere near our team.

If they really didn't have interest in Aiyuk, I am thrilled they haven't let on. No leaks, love it. I'd like to hear of the team putting in an offer to Diggs, to NE for Boutte or some other WR trade option soon. Get someone who proved themselves legit in 2025 added to the WR competition. I'd like a security blanket over rolling the dice with just our group

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

Except it hasn't worked. He was supposed to be cut already, then he was supposed to be a June 1st cut, and now he's hoping he'll be a training camp cut! So, whatever he thinks he's accomplishing it ain't working. If anything the 49ers have entrenched themselves further.

Training camp hasn't even started. So it's too late to say it hasn't worked. Early reports were the Niners will hold on to him until the very last possible moment, September 1st. If he gets release at any point before then that is a win for the player.

 

[Conn]

If he never steps in the building again, how does he force his release?

He can’t. And his idiocy on this issue (or fake ignorance bc he really doesn’t have the fire to play anymore) will be the main reason he never plays football again, if that’s the outcome

 

[KDawg]

I don’t understand why anyone wants this guy on the team.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

I follow, Schefter is unsure. Here's what he wrote today. But its rare for every guy who covers the team to agree on one point, so I am betting there is at least a fighting chance it happens. But that presumes Aiyuk even knows how to free himself to make it happen.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49199010/brandon-aiyuk-blames-ex-agent-push-leaves-49ers-continues

It's unclear whether the Commanders would have interest in signing Aiyuk. Because he is still under contract with the 49ers, the Commanders can't publicly express interest in the wide receiver without violating the NFL's tampering rules.

I read the Schefter article. What I was referring to is a segment he did on some show and I heard on some podcast. I don't honestly remember which one, it was either Galdi, Keim or Standig. But he clearly stated in that appearance, "I talked to the Commanders before the draft, and there were questions." Without finding the exact quote (which I'm not going to do) it is as close to as an exact quote as possible.

Will it happen eventually? I literally have no idea. Maybe. Some beat guys seem to think so.

But I think this is a little different situation than normal FA or the draft. Because of the public nature of this situation, I think this is something not only Peters would have to weigh in on, but something Harris would have to be on board with as well. And for that reason, I'm not sure how accurate any of the information out there is. Could there be people in the building who think it's a slam dunk? Sure. Is that what Peters/Harris/Quinn think? Eh. Not as clear.

I'm not saying it won't happen. I'm just saying I'm less convinced than others that it will. And every Instagram post makes it less and less likely to me. At least less likely immediately. It could be a later thing.

I'm also not entirely sure if the NFL is terribly thrilled about this behavior and wonder if they might step in somehow to delay things.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

I don’t understand why anyone wants this guy on the team.

The only reason is because they are so freaked out about WR2, they're willing to get in bed with the Devil in order to get some insurance.

I've been pretty clear: I don't want him anywhere near the team.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

He can’t. And his idiocy on this issue (or fake ignorance bc he really doesn’t have the fire to play anymore) will be the main reason he never plays football again, if that’s the outcome

If he really doesn't want to play football again, then I really don't understand any of his behavior at all? Just slink into the background and enjoy the money you've already made and the family you have.

None of this makes any damn sense.

Which both makes me feel like he has some true mental health issues, and that's awful, but it also makes me feel like you can't bring somebody like that into a team environment until you are sure they are going to be ok, fit in, and not cause a distraction. And nothing he is doing currently would lead anybody to thing he could pull that off.

 

[36ST21]

I have no doubt that it's true. From the information we've seen, the 49ers treated him poorly and continue to do so. But the solution to get out of this predicament is to pull up his big boy pants and visit the big evil castle with dark clouds and lightning bolts flashing all around it, walk in the door, and either get paid or get cut. The evil villains don't want to pay him, so he will get cut.

But that's harder than tweeting about the Commanders. I know people like that irl. They have a problem, it is a 40 minute round trip to solve their problem, but they will refuse to take that trip. They would rather complain about it in an hour long phone call instead.

I think Cohn is trying to advance the narrative that there was some type of "handshake deal" between Aiyuk and SF: the team would void his guarantees and in exchange allow him to remain away from the team as well as release him free and clear on June 1. When the "promised" release didn't occur, Aiyuk took to Twitter after having been quiet for the preceding year.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

If they really didn't have interest in Aiyuk, I am thrilled they haven't let on. No leaks, love it. I'd like to hear of the team putting in an offer to Diggs, to NE for Boutte or some other WR trade option soon. Get someone who proved themselves legit in 2025 added to the WR competition. I'd like a security blanket over rolling the dice with just our group

I personally don't think you're going to get a security blanket. I think that's going to cause some people's heads to explode, but unless we get into camp and the WRs just stink, or if there is a significant injury, I think they're going to ride with the guys they have. And I think they're going to structure the offense so it looks something like this:

Assuming 60 offensive snaps a game:
Run Game (RBs): 30
Daniels Runs: 4
Terry Targets: 6
Chig Target: 6
White/RB Targets: 5
Slot Targets: 5
All other targets: 4

Their best receivers are Terry, Chig and White at this moment. So they are going to lean on those, is my guess.

As Keim and Standig have both spent HOURS podcasting about, the offense can be "very good" (both of their words, not mine) with this group of skill position players if Daniels plays well and the OL holds up.

Clearly an injury to Terry is crushing. But that's sortof the case for every team's #1 WR. Very few teams have a receiver who can step in if their top receiver goes down and maintain that same level of productivity.

Is this the right decision? I'm not sure. We're going to find out though.

As I've said, for me personally, it is where they are. I'm much more freaked out about CB than WR2. Because I'm not sure we have 2 starting outside CBs. And the ball seems to find the weak link at CB early and often.

 

[KDawg]

The only reason is because they are so freaked out about WR2, they're willing to get in bed with the Devil in order to get some insurance.

I've been pretty clear: I don't want him anywhere near the team.

Adding him potentially makes us worse. The guy is not showing emotional stability at all.

It’s tough to judge without knowing him. So, what I’ll stick with is that there is a caveat that he may be fine and this is all show.

But it sure doesn’t seem like it.

 

[RedWolf]

Not sure if this has been posted

 

[skinsinparadise]

I personally don't think you're going to get a security blanket. I think that's going to cause some people's heads to explode, but unless we get into camp and the WRs just stink, or if there is a significant injury, I think they're going to ride with the guys they have. And I think they're going to structure the offense so it looks something like this:

Assuming 60 offensive snaps a game:
Run Game (RBs): 30
Daniels Runs: 4
Terry Targets: 6
Chig Target: 6
White/RB Targets: 5
Slot Targets: 5
All other targets: 4

Their best receivers are Terry, Chig and White at this moment. So they are going to lean on those, is my guess.

As Keim and Standig have both spent HOURS podcasting about, the offense can be "very good" (both of their words, not mine) with this group of skill position players if Daniels plays well and the OL holds up.

Clearly an injury to Terry is crushing. But that's sortof the case for every team's #1 WR. Very few teams have a receiver who can step in if their top receiver goes down and maintain that same level of productivity.

Is this the right decision? I'm not sure. We're going to find out though.

As I've said, for me personally, it is where they are. I'm much more freaked out about CB than WR2. Because I'm not sure we have 2 starting outside CBs. And the ball seems to find the weak link at CB early and often.

They've really worked on both Keim and Standig. Standig has vacillated—he started out concerned, then shifted to "it's going to be fine," only to circle back and express concern again on a show last week, I think with Sheehan. Keim has been more consistent. His position has evolved from "the offense can be good because of Jayden and can replicate 2024 if Terry stays healthy" to "the offense can be very good"—not because of the receivers, but because of Jayden. Yet he has consistently added the same caveat: if Terry misses significant time, it's a major problem.

This whole WR discussion reminds me of the offensive line debate in 2023. Fans were worried. National media were worried. Even some local media started out worried. But as training camp progressed, several of them—especially Bram and Logan—came around, and the narrative became that fans were overreacting and needed to relax.

I later heard Bram say the coaches had convinced him the offensive line was going to be fine. I get the sense the same thing is happening now with the receiver room. Keim has said multiple times that the coaches are much higher on this group than the fans are and don't share the same concerns. Hearing that immediately takes me back to the 2023 offensive line. Hopefully this time the coaches are right. They certainly weren't then.

And look, anything is possible—and I don't mean that sarcastically. Everything could absolutely break right. If Terry stays healthy, I can see this offense approaching its 2024 level. Chig essentially replaces Ertz. Terry remains Terry. Rachaad White fills the Ekeler role. Antonio Williams develops into the Zaccheus-type contributor. Van Jefferson gives you what Noah Brown did. It's a plausible path. But that's also a lot of "ifs." In 2024, virtually everything broke their way. They had the easiest schedule in the NFL, won an absurd number of close games, and were one of the healthiest teams in football.

My prediction? 10-7 and a Wild Card berth. The defense will be significantly better. The offense won't quite reach 2024 because I don't expect lightning to strike twice, but it'll still be good because Jayden is that special—and maybe even great if they continue to lean on his legs. That was the secret sauce in 2024. When nothing was open, Jayden simply made a play with his legs. If they continue to use him that way, and Terry stays healthy, they can absolutely approach that year's production.

I think this team gets bounced if it runs into a team like the Rams or Seattle in the playoffs. My frustration has never been about whether this offense can be good. It's about its margin for error. Right now, it's heavily dependent on Terry staying healthy and Jayden carrying the offense with his arm and his legs. If they had landed another legitimate weapon at receiver—someone defenses actually had to account for—they wouldn't need everything to break perfectly. They'd have an offense capable of going toe-to-toe with teams like the Rams or Seattle instead of needing another season where nearly every break goes their way.

Dismissing the impact of a Terry injury by saying, "Well, every team would struggle without its No. 1 receiver," misses the point. It's not just about losing your best receiver—it's about how little proven depth exists behind him. Teams with a legitimate No. 2 can survive that kind of loss much better. Washington, as currently constructed, would be asking unproven players or reclamation projects to suddenly fill that void. That's why a Terry injury isn't just another injury—it's potentially season-altering. And not that it matters but I don't think you will get the beat guys agreeing with you on that, Keim has talked about how this team is more vulnerable to a loss of the #1 WR. It's as obvious as the sky is blue.

Teams are generally reluctant to give top-of-the-market, long-term deals to 30-year-old receivers because that's when production often starts to decline and injuries become more common. Ironically, that was part of the narrative as to the contract impasse last summer and we saw exactly that happen with Terry last season. If the team genuinely believed age was irrelevant for wide receivers, last summer's contract negotiations wouldn't have dragged on the way they did. Their own actions suggested they recognized the risks that come with paying a receiver entering his 30s.

 

[GibbsSkins]

I logged in after weeks and all I see is non-stop he said she said Brandon Aiyuk posts, not that anything is wrong with that 🤦‍♂️🙏

Can't wait for the pre-season games to start!

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

They've really worked on both Keim and Standig. Standig has vacillated—he started out concerned, then shifted to "it's going to be fine," only to circle back and express concern again on a show last week, I think with Sheehan. Keim has been more consistent. His position has evolved from "the offense can be good because of Jayden and can replicate 2024 if Terry stays healthy" to "the offense can be very good"—not because of the receivers, but because of Jayden. Yet he has consistently added the same caveat: if Terry misses significant time, it's a major problem.

This whole WR discussion reminds me of the offensive line debate in 2023. Fans were worried. National media were worried. Even some local media started out worried. But as training camp progressed, several of them—especially Bram and Logan—came around, and the narrative became that fans were overreacting and needed to relax.

I later heard Bram say the coaches had convinced him the offensive line was going to be fine. I get the sense the same thing is happening now with the receiver room. Keim has said multiple times that the coaches are much higher on this group than the fans are and don't share the same concerns. Hearing that immediately takes me back to the 2023 offensive line. Hopefully this time the coaches are right. They certainly weren't then.

And look, anything is possible—and I don't mean that sarcastically. Everything could absolutely break right. If Terry stays healthy, I can see this offense approaching its 2024 level. Chig essentially replaces Ertz. Terry remains Terry. Rachaad White fills the Ekeler role. Antonio Williams develops into the Zaccheus-type contributor. Van Jefferson gives you what Noah Brown did. It's a plausible path. But that's also a lot of "ifs." In 2024, virtually everything broke their way. They had the easiest schedule in the NFL, won an absurd number of close games, and were one of the healthiest teams in football.

My prediction? 10-7 and a Wild Card berth. The defense will be significantly better. The offense won't quite reach 2024 because I don't expect lightning to strike twice, but it'll still be good because Jayden is that special—and maybe even great if they continue to lean on his legs. That was the secret sauce in 2024. When nothing was open, Jayden simply made a play with his legs. If they continue to use him that way, and Terry stays healthy, they can absolutely approach that year's production.

I think this team gets bounced if it runs into a team like the Rams or Seattle in the playoffs. My frustration has never been about whether this offense can be good. It's about its margin for error. Right now, it's heavily dependent on Terry staying healthy and Jayden carrying the offense with his arm and his legs. If they had landed another legitimate weapon at receiver—someone defenses actually had to account for—they wouldn't need everything to break perfectly. They'd have an offense capable of going toe-to-toe with teams like the Rams or Seattle instead of needing another season where nearly every break goes their way.

Dismissing the impact of a Terry injury by saying, "Well, every team would struggle without its No. 1 receiver," misses the point. It's not just about losing your best receiver—it's about how little proven depth exists behind him. Teams with a legitimate No. 2 can survive that kind of loss much better. Washington, as currently constructed, would be asking unproven players or reclamation projects to suddenly fill that void. That's why a Terry injury isn't just another injury—it's potentially season-altering. And not that it matters but I don't think you will get the beat guys agreeing with you on that, Keim has talked about how this team is more vulnerable to a loss of the #1 WR. It's as obvious as the sky is blue.

Teams are generally reluctant to give top-of-the-market, long-term deals to 30-year-old receivers because that's when production often starts to decline and injuries become more common. Ironically, that was part of the narrative as to the contract impasse last summer and we saw exactly that happen with Terry last season. If the team genuinely believed age was irrelevant for wide receivers, last summer's contract negotiations wouldn't have dragged on the way they did. Their own actions suggested they recognized the risks that come with paying a receiver entering his 30s.

Keim has not, in my opinion, been consistent. In fact, he dedicated an entire podcast to his inconsistency. He had been much more on the side of the concern, then devoted the entire podcast on June 14th to the fact they could have a good or very good offense with what they have. He consistently said in that podcast he wouldn't be opposed if they added somebody, and thought they might. However THAT was always the counter to "they're going to be fine if they don't. Here's why." It was like he felt he had to add the caveat every time he was openly admitting he was changing his story. And FWIW, it's fine to change your mind or your story. New information comes to light. But I think it's also fine to acknowledge that he has really reversed position on this over the past few months. NOTE: He has not reversed his concern on CB. Which I share.

Standig hasn't been consistent either. I don't listen to Sheehan anymore, every time I try, he makes my ears bleed. The last couple times I listened to him, he was channeling his inner Chris Russell. How far he has fallen from when he was must listen to know just being a carnival barker is insane. I blame Lovero. When he started doing time with Squeaky, he changed. And he's parked on the lesser channel with a smaller audience in the Audacy family. ** If you want to debate Sheenah, pick it up in the Covering Commanders thread. I'm just saying I don't listen to him and have no idea what he's saying.

I absolutely do not think either one of them has been consistent. Whether the team got to them, or they changed their mind on their own, I do not know and can't begin to guess. But both started critical to skeptical, and now both have completely gone the other way. You mentioned Standig might be pendulum swinging again, I am 2-3 Standig podcasts behind, so I haven't heard that yet. I am going to try and catch up over the next couple of days. Now that House of the Dragon (HOTD) has returned, some of my podcast listening time is devoted to House of R, the official HOTD podcast, and Bald Move. I have more than one interest, and that's one of them.

As Kevin Bacon said in "A Few Good Men:" These are the facts, and they are undisputed. You can try and argue Keim or Standig didn't switch positions, and I could spend the time to pull quote after quote to show you they did. I'm just going to say up front, I'm not going to spend the time doing that. But they both reversed positions.

I do think it's interesting both of them did it at essentially the same time. So maybe the team did get to them. Because it is definitely interesting.

As far as the logic goes there isn't anything proven behind Terry, I mean, I don't disagree. But that's basically true for every team. Let's look at the playoff teams (again.)

Round	Team	Player	Receiving Yards	TDs
Super Bowl Champion	Seattle Seahawks	Jaxon Smith-Njigba	1793​	10​
Super Bowl Champion	Seattle Seahawks	Cooper Kupp	593​	2​
Super Bowl Champion	Seattle Seahawks	Rashid Shaheed	188​	0​
Super Bowl Runner-up	New England Patriots	Stefon Diggs	1013​	4​
Super Bowl Runner-up	New England Patriots	Kayshon Boutte	551​	6​
Super Bowl Runner-up	New England Patriots	Mack Hollins	550​	2​
AFC Championship	Denver Broncos	Courtland Sutton	1017​	7​
AFC Championship	Denver Broncos	Troy Franklin	709​	6​
AFC Championship	Denver Broncos	Marvin Mims Jr.	322​	1​
NFC Championship	Los Angeles Rams	Puka Nacua	1715​	10​
NFC Championship	Los Angeles Rams	Davante Adams	789​	14​
NFC Championship	Los Angeles Rams	Xavier Smith	303​	0​
Divisional Round	Houston Texans	Nico Collins	1117​	6​
Divisional Round	Houston Texans	Jayden Higgins	525​	6​
Divisional Round	Houston Texans	Xavier Hutchinson	428​	3​
Divisional Round	Buffalo Bills	Khalil Shakir	719​	4​
Divisional Round	Buffalo Bills	Keon Coleman	404​	4​
Divisional Round	Buffalo Bills	Joshua Palmer	303​	0​
Divisional Round	Chicago Bears	D.J. Moore	682​	6​
Divisional Round	Chicago Bears	Rome Odunze	661​	6​
Divisional Round	Chicago Bears	Luther Burden III	652​	2​
Divisional Round	San Francisco 49ers	Jauan Jennings	643​	9​
Divisional Round	San Francisco 49ers	Kendrick Bourne	551​	0​
Divisional Round	San Francisco 49ers	Ricky Pearsall	528​	0​
Wild Card Round	Jacksonville Jaguars	Parker Washington	847​	5​
Wild Card Round	Jacksonville Jaguars	Brian Thomas Jr.	707​	2​
Wild Card Round	Jacksonville Jaguars	Jakobi Meyers	483​	3​
Wild Card Round	Pittsburgh Steelers	DK Metcalf	850​	6​
Wild Card Round	Pittsburgh Steelers	Calvin Austin III	372​	3​
Wild Card Round	Pittsburgh Steelers	Roman Wilson	166​	2​
Wild Card Round	Los Angeles Chargers	Ladd McConkey	789​	6​
Wild Card Round	Los Angeles Chargers	Keenan Allen	777​	4​
Wild Card Round	Los Angeles Chargers	Quentin Johnston	735​	8​
Wild Card Round	Philadelphia Eagles	DeVonta Smith	1008​	4​
Wild Card Round	Philadelphia Eagles	A.J. Brown	1003​	7​
Wild Card Round	Philadelphia Eagles	Jahan Dotson	262​	1​
Wild Card Round	Carolina Panthers	Tetairoa McMillan	1014​	7​
Wild Card Round	Carolina Panthers	Jalen Coker	394​	3​
Wild Card Round	Carolina Panthers	Xavier Legette	363​	3​
Wild Card Round	Green Bay Packers	Romeo Doubs	724​	6​
Wild Card Round	Green Bay Packers	Christian Watson	611​	6​
Wild Card Round	Green Bay Packers	Matthew Golden	361​	0​

The only team in the playoffs that had 2 1000 yards receivers, and probably would have been fine if there was a serious injury to the #1 was the Eagles.

There was a 1200 yard gap between Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Kupp in Seattle. If Jaxon Smith-Njigba gets hurt, they're done.
There was a 500 yard gap between Stefon Diggs and Boutte in New England. If Diggs goes down, they're cooked.
THere was a 1000 yard gap between Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. If Nacua goes down, they're finished.
There was a 600 yard gap between Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins. The Texans would have really struggled to make up the difference.
And the biggest difference was the Panthers. There was a 700 yard difference between Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker.

There were some teams which didn't have a true #1 and there was more parity. But really, if you lose your stud #1 WR, there isn't a lot behind them in most NFL teams today. That's somewhat changed over the years, where teams would consistently hoard WRs, and every team tried to have 2 legitimate outside WRs. However, the way the game has changed, that just isn't the case anymore. There is much more emphasis on having RBs contribute from the backfield in the passing game, and attacking the middle with TEs.

Which means most teams only have one true starting outside WR. And it's a huge risk if the #1 guy goes down.

 

[Conn]

Yeah then he won’t be playing ever again