Announcement: Commanders Agree Deal To Sign All-Pro $52 Million WR Who Won’t ‘Overlap’ Terry McLaurin

The Washington Commanders will continue to rely on Terry McLaurin as their primary wide receiver. However, there is potential for a trade to bring in All-Pro Brandon Aiyuk.

Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team has urged the Commanders to make a deal for the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver. According to Mosher, “the Commanders have a No. 1 receiver in Terry McLaurin, but Aiyuk’s game would mesh well with him, and their skills don’t overlap.”

A McLaurin and Aiyuk double act would be perfect for what’s “expected to be a wide-open passing attack with three or four receivers on the field at all times” under new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.

Mosher also made reference to Aiyuk’s long-standing ties to Commanders’ rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Their friendship, dating back to playing at Arizona State in 2019, has kept momentum churning for the Commanders to put together a trade for Aiyuk.

Brandon Aiyuk Trade Buzz Not Going Away

The links between Aiyuk and the Commanders are not going away anytime soon. If anything, they are becoming stronger.

The rationale is simple, as the two-time 1,000-yard wide receiver has expressed his desire to rejoin with Daniels. On Sunday, July 29, Aiyuk told TMZ Sports (h/t Coach Yac) that he “definitely” wants to play for the 49ers this season.

However, every day that passes without Aiyuk signing a new contract with the Niners fuels speculation about his next destination. Daniels, Kingsbury, and McLaurin will keep the Commanders as a favorite prospective landing site.

Commanders Could Make Brandon Aiyuk, Terry McLaurin Partnership Work

Kingsbury would benefit greatly from pairing the second-overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft with one of the best route runners in the league. He’d also be able to deploy two gifted receivers on the field at the same time to make his expansive and vertical passing concepts effective.

Aiyuk would not take McLaurin’s targets away; instead, he would complement what No. 17 does best: dominate on the perimeter. According to Ben Brown of The QB List, the 28-year-old has the ability to make difficult sideline catches, as demonstrated against the New England Patriots in Week 9.

McLaurin’s victory beyond the hashmarks opens the middle of the field for a natural playmaker between the numbers, such as Aiyuk, to exploit. Aiyuk’s “deep crosser” against the Dallas Cowboys last season was noted by Doug Farrar from USA Today.

Having two receivers capable of dissecting different areas of the field would allow Daniels to swiftly improve his passing range at the professional level. This would result in more single coverage for pass-catchers like Jahan Dotson, Luke McCaffrey, and Zach Ertz.

Kingsbury will not hesitate to deploy this quintet to force opposition defenses to decide where to direct coverage. McLaurin, a Pro Bowl talent often underappreciated, can benefit from Aiyuk’s dynamism, toughness, and ingenuity as a receiver.

Trading for a player familiar to general manager Adam Peters from his time in San Francisco would make good use of the Commanders’ salary cap space of $36,216,567.