San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk returned to the team's offices on Friday and began taking the necessary steps to file for NFL reinstatement, the clearest sign yet that a long and strange standoff between the two sides is nearing its end.
Aiyuk recently hired agent Drew Rosenhaus to represent him, and the two addressed reporters ahead of their meeting with the team. The former Second Team All-Pro offered a short statement about his health. "I'm feeling great, feeling healthy, been a long recovery process, long rehab process but I'm back to 100% and looking to get reinstated to the National Football League," Aiyuk said.
The receiver's return to Santa Clara drew heavy attention on Friday, but head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear he has moved on. Asked what to expect from the meeting, Shanahan said, "No clue. Your guess is as good as mine." Asked what he would like to see happen, he replied, "I (couldn't) care less."
Aiyuk still has obstacles to clear before he can suit up again. Tom Pelissero of The Ringer reported that Aiyuk owes the 49ers roughly $13 million in bonus forfeiture after the team voided his guarantees in July 2025 for failing to meet contract requirements, a dispute that landed him on the reserve/left squad list. Pelissero reported the NFL management council and the NFL Players Association are working toward a resolution, though it may take time.
The 49ers also still own Aiyuk's rights. Once he is reinstated by the league, they will have to trade or release him, and with past trade attempts going nowhere, a release could be on the table once the money issue is settled.
It is a stunning fall for a player who was among the league's best in 2023, when he caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns during San Francisco's run to Super Bowl LVIII and joined Jerry Rice as the only players in franchise history with seven 100-yard receiving games in a season. His 3.1 yards per route run ranked third behind Tyreek Hill and Nico Collins, and 81.3% of his catches went for a first down or a touchdown, the top rate in the NFL.
Wanting long-term security before the final year of his rookie deal, Aiyuk skipped mandatory minicamp in June 2024, publicly mentioned the Washington Commanders and Pittsburgh Steelers as possible destinations and eventually demanded a trade. He attended training camp but was "holding in" while awaiting a new contract, then signed a four-year, $120 million extension that August. The $30 million average annual value tied for the fifth largest among wide receivers at the time.
Aiyuk opened the 2024 season slowly, failing to reach 50 receiving yards in any of his first four games before a 147-yard outburst against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5, then tore his ACL in a Super Bowl rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7 and missed the rest of the year.
His 2025 season never happened. After the guarantees were voided he was placed on the reserve/left team list that December, and Shanahan said he had not seen Aiyuk "in forever," describing him as "extremely distant." Aiyuk filmed himself driving 104 mph near the team's stadium, blasted the organization in an Instagram rant and repeatedly hinted he was close to joining the Commanders, even claiming he bought a house in Ashburn, Virginia, where Washington's practice facility is located. But he had not applied for reinstatement, and his rights still belonged to San Francisco. Now, that process has finally begun.
