As Brandon Aiyuk rumors swirl, the Commanders’ hopes might rest on a reunion with a receiver they drafted years ago

ASHBURN, Va. — A few moments after the Commanders wrapped up another OTA practice last week, head coach Dan Quinn hung back as his team trudged to the locker room and sought out a veteran receiver.

Dyami Brown, who once helped Washington to an NFC championship game appearance in 2024, was back in camp. Now on his third contract and sixth season, the weathered playmaker was just fighting for his NFL life. So Quinn made a point of pulling him aside for some encouragement.

“I hit him up the other day,” Quinn said Tuesday at the start of the team’s minicamp. “There’s just a good intensity about him. A good mindset of where he’s at. He’s somebody that I’ve been super impressed with.”

The meeting went a long way for Brown, who returned to D.C. in hopes of reviving a once-promising career. His one-year stint in Jacksonville ended unceremoniously after just 20 catches and 227 yards. Washington lent him an olive branch this offseason with a $3 million deal to return to the franchise that drafted him 82nd overall in 2021.

“Grateful to be back. Just to have an opportunity to play another season in the NFL,” Brown said.

But the Brown-Quinn huddle also meant something more for this Commanders team, which desperately needs a receiver like Brown to materialize this season.

Quinn wasn’t just doing charity by taking a few moments out of his day. Instead, his season, and likely his job security, hinges on Washington finding a receiver not named Terry McLaurin to catch passes from Jayden Daniels.

After the offense ground to a halt last year and the Commanders blew up the receiver room, Brown could be Quinn’s best hope at finding a receiving threat. Their path back to the playoffs might rest on it.

“They’re giving [me] a chance,” Brown said. “So [I have to] take advantage of the opportunity.”

The last time Brown was in a Commanders uniform, both the franchise and his own career looked much different. Washington was on the ascent with a rookie quarterback, climbing up the standings and beating Tampa and Detroit in the playoffs. Brown was a major part of those wins — tallying 89 yards and a touchdown against the Bucs and nearly 100 against the Lions.

By the end of that season, it looked like the balance of power in the NFC East was shifting south to the nation’s capital. And Brown’s path looked equally promising as he ventured to Jacksonville for a one-year $10 million deal and a bigger role.

But since then, it’s spiraled for both parties.

The sequel to Washington’s coming out party quickly devolved into disaster. Daniels, who won Offensive Rookie of the Year, was hurt most of the season. McLaurin was also hurt and the other members of the receiving corps struggled to get open. The offensive production went down to 22nd in the NFL and the Commanders crashed to a 5-12 season.

Meanwhile in Jacksonville, Brown had trouble finding his footing. He played in a career-low 11 games and was targeted under 40 times. Even as the team went 13-4, Brown was barely part of the story.

So this offseason, Brown and the Commanders found their way back together.

Washington decided to revamp their pass catchers, shedding Deebo Samuel and Zach Ertz. The two combined for over 36% of the total receiving production last year.

In their place, they signed Brown and fellow veteran Van Jefferson. They drafted former Clemson wideout Antonio Williams in the first round. Now they have plenty of options, but it is a young and inexperienced group. Outside of McLaurin, the Commanders don’t have a single returning player with more than 225 receiving yards last year.

It means Brown all of sudden became quite important to his former franchise.

“Having Dyami back [has been good]. He has been excellent,” Quinn said.

Of course, the major question hovering over the Commanders is whether general manager Adam Peters will make a move for a brand name star before the season starts. San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk has long been linked to Washington and reports swirled that the disgruntled veteran will be on the market soon. Former Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs, who is from Maryland, could also be in the mix.

The Commanders have a history of making late additions. Washington signed pass rusher Von Miller in July last year for a one-year deal. Quinn said if the fit makes sense at a position of need, they will consider adding.

“It’s not surprising for a team to go through different [offseason] stages and say, ‘OK we’ve gone through a spring, where [is the roster] at? Even into training camp sometimes, a certain veteran could bring a specific skill set to a team,” he said. “Finding that right fit is a big piece of it.”

But for now, Washington doesn’t have a star to complement McLaurin in the receiver room. Instead, it is leaning heavily on a player who once helped them to the playoffs.

“That playoff run is over with,” Brown said. “It’s all about now.”

As he left the field after the first day of minicamp, he didn’t stop to talk to Quinn this time. Instead, he walked straight over to Daniels to squeeze in a few more reps. It was time to get back to work.