NFL reinstates Brandon Aiyuk; 49ers receive a roster exemption

November 9 update: NFL reinstates Aiyuk

The NFL reinstated Brandon Aiyuk on Monday, removing him from the reserve/left squad list and granting San Francisco a roster exemption, the Associated Press reports in a story carried by NFL.com. That is a change from the application and Friday meeting reported below.

AP reports that the 49ers have said they do not plan to play him again. No completed trade, release or game activation is established in that report. The reinstatement also does not independently establish medical clearance.

November 7 update: Friday meeting, reported repayment demand

Brandon Aiyuk and agent Drew Rosenhaus met with the 49ers at the team’s business offices Friday, November 6. Rosenhaus said afterward that talks would continue; no resolution or reinstatement approval was announced in the report.

The Associated Press reports that the NFL sent Aiyuk and the players’ union a letter Thursday saying he owes the 49ers about $13 million in previously paid bonuses. AP cites a person familiar with the situation because the letter was not released. Aiyuk said he felt fully healthy. That remains his assessment, rather than a separate medical clearance.

November 4: the original filing report

Brandon Aiyuk has submitted reinstatement paperwork and plans to report to the San Francisco 49ers’ facility Friday afternoon, November 6, agent Drew Rosenhaus told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Nick Wagoner reported the development Wednesday. Filing an application does not itself establish that reinstatement has been approved.

Rosenhaus said Aiyuk is ready to play. That is the agent’s assessment, not an independently confirmed medical clearance. Aiyuk has not appeared in an NFL game since October 20, 2024, according to ESPN.

The next decision belongs to the team and league

The immediate development is a proposed return to the facility, rather than a confirmed return to San Francisco’s lineup. Aiyuk remains under contract, and no completed release, trade or game activation is established in the reports reviewed Wednesday.

NFL.com reported that Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday he had no expectation of Aiyuk’s return.

The useful sequence is paperwork, a decision on reinstatement, then a concrete roster and availability decision. Each would change the story. Until those steps are confirmed, assigning Aiyuk a role in Sunday’s game or treating Friday’s intended arrival as a completed reunion would go beyond the evidence.