Potential Landing Spots for Brandon Aiyuk After 49ers Exit

The Brandon Aiyuk era with the San Francisco 49ers was wildly short-lived.

After being away from the team for the second half of the season, 49ers general manager John Lynch said that Aiyuk has played his final snap in San Francisco.

Certainly, the 27-year-old will have a market of suitors. Even though things did not work out with the 49ers, here are a few teams that could find themselves in the mix for Aiyuk next season.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders are almost certainly drafting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The issue? He has nobody to throw the ball to.

Vegas traded Jakobi Meyers to the Jacksonville Jaguars ahead of the NFL trade deadline. Tre Tucker, Jack Bech and Don’te Thorton Jr. are the top pass catchers for the Raiders right now.

The Raiders will also be hiring a new head coach after Pete Carroll’s one season with the team. New coach, new quarterback and new shiny receiver sounds like a great offseason plan for the Raiders.

Buffalo Bills

Hey, speaking of teams that will be bringing in a new head coach… welcome to the party, Bills Mafia!

Bills owner Terry Pegula threw a ridiculous stray at Keon Coleman when he met with the media after firing Sean McDermott. It’s clear that the owner of the team doesn’t believe that the young receiver out of Florida State is a difference maker despite catching a touchdown in their divisional round loss to the Denver Broncos.

The Bills have struggled to get over the hump in the Josh Allen era. But Aiyuk would be the most talented receiver that Allen has worked with since Stefon Diggs departed.

Baltimore Ravens

Doesn’t Aiyuk just feel like a Ravens player? A guy that’s incredibly talented and mysteriously fell out of favor in his former position?

Maybe the Ravens will change the way that they do business after firing John Harbaugh despite coaching the team for 18 seasons. It’s clear the Ravens want to win with Lamar Jackson, who regressed in 2026. Could Aiyuk snap the former MVP out of his funk?

Cleveland Browns

Truthfully, every AFC North team outside of the Cincinnati Bengals could use some help at wide receiver.

The Browns survived the full Jerry Jeudy experience during his first two seasons in Cleveland. Last year, he set career-high marks with Deshaun Watson, Jameis Winston and Dorian Thompson-Robinson. But in 2026, Jeudy was a complete nonfactor.

If the Browns were to pair Jeudy with Aiyuk, they could utilize the No. 6 and No. 24 overall picks into drafting offensive linemen.

Washington Commanders

Could Aiyuk replace Deebo Samuel as a former Niners receiver for Jayden Daniels?

Samuel isn’t owed any cash in 2026, which is bad news for the aging wide receiver. The Commanders could look to replace him with a younger ex-Niner in Aiyuk.

The Commanders should be trying to prove that they can bounce back and contend in Daniels’ rookie contract after an injury-riddled season.