Rich: What the Commanders Signing Stefon Diggs Means for Brandon Aiyuk

London Fletcher spent an hour on the show fielding the question that has hung over Washington all summer. Who is catching the football for Jayden Daniels?

Then he left, and the Commanders answered it.

Stefon Diggs is a Washington Commander, on what Adam Schefter reported as a one-year deal worth up to $12 million.

The symmetry is almost too neat. A.J. Brown leaves the NFC East for New England to replace Diggs, and Diggs leaves New England for the NFC East. Two receivers passing each other in opposite directions.

There is a quarterback lesson buried in the timing. The passer drafted right after Daniels is Drake Maye, and adding Diggs is part of what helped Maye blossom into an MVP candidate in year two. Diggs was good last year.

Now he arrives in year three for a quarterback who had his MVP season as a rookie and then lost much of year two to injury.

That gives Daniels something he did not have. Two veterans deep into their careers, Diggs and Terry McLaurin, rather than a room full of players still figuring out who they are.

Rich does not read this as panic. No injury bug has broken out in Washington, which means Diggs was on the radar for a while and the Commanders simply decided to push the button early in camp.

It is also a homecoming. Diggs is a Maryland Terrapin.

The cost of the move lands on somebody who is not in the building. Washington was the destination most people penciled in for Brandon Aiyuk, and this is another door closing on him.

Aiyuk's remaining play is being run on Instagram, where he has floated the idea of running it back with Deebo in San Francisco. Rich is not sure the 49ers are buying it, particularly since San Francisco already went for the receiver they knew in Deebo, a move born out of losing Ricky Pearsall for the season.

Elsewhere on the receiving front, Zach Ertz spent the day catching passes from Andrew Luck and showing off a knee that is healing fine. He still has plenty left to offer, and a landing spot before the season would suit him.

For Washington, though, this one is straightforward. Nice signing.