Brandon Aiyuk filed for reinstatement from the reserve/left squad list on Wednesday, setting up a meeting with team leadership at the 49ers’ business office on Great America Parkway, according to USA Today.
Aiyuk Owes San Francisco 49ers $13 Million in Bonus Forfeiture
The NFL and the NFL Players Association received a letter stating that the wide receiver owes roughly $13 million in bonus forfeiture to the San Francisco 49ers, according to Tom Pelissero.
Veteran WR Brandon Aiyuk owes the 49ers roughly $13 million in bonus forfeiture — a potential complication in his efforts to secure his release by reporting to the facility Friday. The NFL Management Council and the NFL Players Association are both involved in attempting to… pic.twitter.com/APRRlExe3j
That financial hurdle stems from the four-year, $120 million contract extension Aiyuk signed in August 2024, which included a $23 million signing bonus. San Francisco paid him $48.1 million under the deal before he sustained a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus against the Kansas City Chiefs in October 2024.
Last summer, San Francisco nullified roughly $27 million in guaranteed money when Aiyuk failed to satisfy rehabilitation and attendance obligations. They placed him on the reserve/left squad list in December, which allowed the team to bypass paying his $24.9 million option bonus for 2026. Aiyuk’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, accompanied the receiver to Friday’s one-hour, 15-minute meeting with team executives. During the specific year a player goes onto the reserve/left squad, participation with their current club or any other franchise is prohibited, effectively concluding their campaign. The window for reinstatement opens the next year. While league-wide assumptions until recently treated the path back from the reserve/left squad list as a routine administrative function, the situation with Brandon Aiyuk demonstrates that the NFL perceives it quite differently.
Don’t usually see these guys outside before 49ers practice #AiyukWatch pic.twitter.com/5IyGcvKeOQ
The Collective Bargaining Agreement is silent on the topic of the reserve/left squad list, leaving the Player Personnel Handbook to govern the process. Under the league’s rules, a player on the list must apply to the Commissioner for reinstatement to his club’s Active List.
Reinstatement is barred during the same season a player enters the Reserve list, and anyone seeking a return in a following year cannot be reinstated during the final 30 days of the regular season or at any point in the postseason.
The warrant remains active for Brandon Aiyuk’s arrest from an alleged December speeding incident near Levi’s Stadium, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office tells NBC Sports Bay Area.
Any such player cannot be reinstated in the window between a subsequent season's trading deadline and that 30-day cutoff unless the franchise submits a formal request and the Commissioner approves it.
Before Aiyuk cut off communication and stopped showing up to the facility while rehabbing his knee injury, general manager John Lynch indicated that Aiyuk had more than likely played his last snap for San Francisco. The franchise previously signed players like Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, and Deebo Samuel Sr., and selected Ole Miss star wideout De’Zhaun Stribling with the 33rd overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to address depth.
Prior to his injuries, the 28-year-old wide receiver recorded 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023, earning second-team All-Pro honors and ranking No. 6 among wide receivers with a PFN WR Impact Score of 86.8. He followed that performance with only 25 catches for 374 yards in seven games in 2024 before getting injured, bringing his career totals to 294 catches for 4,305 yards and 25 touchdowns since being drafted in the first round in 2020.
Brandon is healthy and ready to get back on
Drew Rosenhaus, Agent
Rosenhaus added outside the facility, To be continued,
when asked about the discussions.
You know hysteria over the NFL is out of control when they send the news chopper to cover a player handling a procedural matter. https://t.co/XnVC5XEDDf
Shanahan and Lynch Respond as Legal Issues Complicate Return
Head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed indifference toward the ongoing saga, stating he could care less about the outcome of the meetings. General manager John Lynch noted on KNBR that the situation remains fluid while working with the NFL Management Council.
Meanwhile, an active arrest warrant issued by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office in June for a misdemeanor exhibition of speed charge stemming from a December video on Tasman Drive also complicates the return process.
Brandon Aiyuk’s meeting with the 49ers is done. “Big bosses, big business,” he said when asked who he met with pic.twitter.com/3Wv1Qg7BB5
Aiyuk addressed reporters upon his arrival regarding his physical readiness. I’m feeling great, feeling healthy. Long recovery process, long rehab process,
Aiyuk said, But I’m back to 100 percent and looking to get reinstated into the National Football League.
The NFL and the NFL Players Association continue to review the situation through potential repayment agreements or arbitration.
Earlier coverage: Brandon Aiyuk Seeks NFL Reinstatement During 49ers Meeting
From The Insiders on @nflnetwork: Brandon Aiyuk came and went on Friday, exiting the #49ers facility with no resolution. pic.twitter.com/2P7kvXq78w
More on Brandon Aiyuk
Current summary: 🏈 49ers like the status quo. Brandon Aiyuk doesn't cost a roster spot or money while not reinstated; SF is owed $13m 🏈 Aiyuk doesn't like the status quo. He owes $13m; 49ers own his rights Hence the meeting, one that Aiyuk had vowed he wouldn't partake in pic.twitter.com/od00Ft2wUm