San Francisco, California: NFL Reinstates Brandon Aiyuk and Gives 49ers Two Weeks to Decide

The NFL reinstated San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on Monday, Nov. 9, removing him from the reserve/left squad list and giving the team a two-week roster exemption to decide what to do with him. The move appeared on the league's daily transaction notice. Aiyuk, 28, does not count against the 53-man roster during the exemption, which runs through Nov. 23.

Aiyuk asked for reinstatement last week and met with 49ers officials at the team facility in Santa Clara on Friday, Nov. 6, alongside his new agent, Drew Rosenhaus. The meeting lasted about 75 minutes, USA Today reported. Rosenhaus said last week that Aiyuk is healthy and ready to resume his career.

A coach who says nothing has changed

Head coach Kyle Shanahan played the news down on Monday. "It means absolutely nothing to our team," Shanahan said, according to Field Level Media. "That's all administrative stuff to me." Team officials have said before that they do not expect Aiyuk to play for San Francisco again, and Monday's reports pointed to a release as the likely end if no trade appears.

The 49ers placed Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list in December 2025 after he stopped reporting to the team while he rehabilitated his right knee. He tore the ACL and MCL in that knee against the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 20, 2024, and has not played since. He fired his agent Ryan Williams during his long dispute with the team and went without representation until he hired Rosenhaus.

Money still in dispute

A financial fight runs beside the roster question. The NFL told Aiyuk and the NFL Players Association last week that it believes he must repay the 49ers about $13 million in bonuses already paid. San Francisco earlier voided $27 million in guaranteed money in his contract for 2026 after he failed to take part in team activities during his rehabilitation. Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million extension before the 2024 season.

What happens next

The exemption expires on Nov. 23, after the 49ers' Week 11 game against the Minnesota Vikings in Mexico City. Before then the team can add Aiyuk to the active roster, release him, or trade him. The trade route runs on a fast clock: the NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. ET.

Aiyuk earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023 with 1,342 receiving yards. In 2024 he caught 25 passes for 374 yards in seven games before the knee injury. Across 69 career games he has 294 catches for 4,305 yards and 25 touchdowns.