Washington Commanders‘ insider Ben Standig indirectly called out Dan Quinn and Adam Peters on Tuesday.
Filling in for Logan Paulsen on the Take Commandpodcast, Standig and Grant Paulsen were discussing the latest on the saga of Brandon Aiyuk. For those unaware, Aiyuk is still a 49ers receiver, but wants them to release him so he can sign with the Commanders. However, he keeps thinking that if he nags them enough, taunts them enough on social media, they will crumble, give in, and release him.
Standig didn’t flinch. He put it out there: “I don’t understand what the Commanders could know that we don’t know that would say to them, this would make sense for the team (to sign Aiyuk),” he said. “The team is constantly talking ‘culture’, ‘what it means to be a Commander’. I saw Dan Quinn do an interview recently where he showed the four reasons of what it means to be a Commander. I don’t see how Brandon Aiyuk is checking off more than maybe one or two boxes.”
Isn’t that the truth? Whatever Dan Quinn’s four reasons are for what it means to be a Commander, who are we kidding here, thinking Aiyuk would have three of those boxes checked? Which juvenile, passive-aggressive display doesn’t turn them off from Aiyuk? I mean, former NFL and Washington Redskins great Brian Mitchell just said earlier this week that Aiyuk’s act is ‘very annoying’ to him.
“I understand the appeal if he can run 22 mph, if he can look like the guy he was in 2023,” added Standig. “Going into all of this, we know he knows (Adam) Peters, we know he knows (Jayden) Daniels. But the behavior (pause). I just don’t get why we are here. His behavior just does not make any logical sense.”
Standig is 100 percent correct. Aiyuk has acted mostly like a spoiled, rich high schooler who taunts those who don’t give him what he wants. Aiyuk still doesn’t realize that, after all his antics, all he manages to do is give the 49ers more reason to antagonize him and frustrate him until, contractually, they have to move on from him. It’s as if two parents are sitting there, pleading with the teen to understand the reality of the situation, and the immature teen digs in further, determined never to admit that his parents know much more about this than he does.
What is most important to Aiyuk is not preparing for the 2026 NFL season. Obviously, what is most important to him is metaphorically launching his grenades at the 49ers week after week on social media. Hooray, Brandon, you have managed to remind us of how immature we were when we were 15 years old and weren’t getting our way in life.
Standig challenged Aiyuk, “If nothing else, show me a video like TO (Terrell Owens). Do pushups or sit-ups in the driveway. Do something that makes me think you actually care about playing football and not just becoming an influencer on Instagram.”
Standig nailed it.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Is Commanders’ culture in question if they sign Brandon Aiyuk?
About the Author
