Brandon Aiyuk’s ongoing situation with the San Francisco 49ers has taken another turn. Initially, while the conversations centered around his displeasure with the 49ers organisation, it has now diverted to an NFL tampering violation. Watching Aiyuk’s antics pushing a move to the Washington Commanders, 49ers insider David Lombardi has raised a question.

“Maybe we need to think of this in reverse,” wrote Lombardi on X. “Can the Commanders file tampering charges against Brandon Aiyuk?”

Brandon Aiyuk has been all over the headlines lately for calling out San Francisco while expressing his wish to join Washington. But most recently, the 28-year-old WR seemingly confirmed that he is signing with the Commanders soon.

“If I’m crazy or if I’m cappin’, tell them boys cut me today, and I’ll sign with the Commanders tomorrow. We’ll see who’s cappin’,” said Aiyuk in a post.

Under the NFL’s tampering violation rules, a front office is not allowed to communicate with an active player if he is under contract with another team without explicit, written permission from that player’s current franchise. This can result in repercussions that could see a team lose draft picks, along with a massive fine.

In 2022 Miami Dolphins faced the wrath of the rule, where they were stripped of a 2023 1st-round pick and a 2024 3rd-round pick for impermissible direct communications with Tom Brady while he was under contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But can Aiyuk face such repercussions for stating out signing with the Commanders while he is still with the 49ers?

It seems unlikely. The tampering rules are mostly in place for NFL teams and their executives. Individual players can also come under tampering violations, but in this case, Aiyuk is openly expressing his employment preference, and this is not something addressed in the rulebook.

However, Aiyuk’s drive to join the Washington Commanders isn’t random. Since last year, the 28-year-old WR’s relationship with the 49ers has deteriorated. It started when Aiyuk failed to attend mandatory team rehab sessions and team meetings. As a result, the 49ers voided approximately $27 million of his future contract guarantees. With that, the standoff began.

Along with that, Aiyuk’s zeal to join the Commanders came into light, where one of his former teammates, Jayden Daniels, leads the offense. In 2019, both represented the Arizona State University. Daniels, as QB, frequently relied on Aiyuk as his primary deep threat. Aiyuk caught 65 passes for 1,192 yards and eight touchdowns that season, showing off his ability when paired with a top-tier QB.

But looking at the possibility of them reuniting and playing for the same team, there are chances. The 49ers’ general manager, John Lynch, clarified that Aiyuk has likely “played his last snap with the Niners” in January 2026. Meanwhile, as for the Commanders’ stakeholders, they have remained silent on the matter.

As things stand, the entire situation is a waiting game that likely won’t resolve until NFL training camps open in late July. Considering Aiyuk reports to camp, he will force the 49ers to make a roster move. However, if he doesn’t, San Francisco will potentially leave him on the reserve list indefinitely.

But amid that, if they decide to cut him, league insiders expect his stock to be at an all-time low. As a result, Washington (or any other franchise) would only offer him a highly conditional, incentive-laden minimum contract. However, till then, we must wait on the situation to develop further.