Aiyuk Seeks NFL Reinstatement: 49ers Demand $13M Repayment
The wide receiver met with team executives Friday to negotiate terms that would clear him to play again after two years away.
By Olivia Miller ·
The San Francisco 49ers are seeking repayment of approximately $13 million in previously issued bonus money before they allow wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to return to the field. This financial hurdle is the primary obstacle preventing Aiyuk from receiving reinstatement from the National Football League.
Aiyuk arrived at the team's business offices in Santa Clara on Friday afternoon to meet with executives. He was accompanied by his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. The discussion lasted roughly 75 minutes. It marks the first time the two parties have engaged directly in over two years, a period defined by injury and contractual disputes.
Before entering the meeting room, Aiyuk told Bay Area media that he is physically ready to play. "I'm feeling great, feeling healthy," Aiyuk said. "It was a long recovery process, a long rehab process, but I'm back to 100% and looking to get reinstated to the National Football League."
Aiyuk has not played an NFL game since suffering tears to his ACL, MCL, and meniscus in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Oct. 20, 2024. In July 2025, the 49ers voided the remaining $27 million in guaranteed money in his contract because he missed required rehabilitation check-ins. He subsequently stopped visiting the team facility and was placed on the reserve/left-team list in December.
The league informed Aiyuk earlier this week that he must settle the $13 million bonus repayment before it grants reinstatement. Rosenhaus said the goal of Friday's meeting was to resolve the necessary issues so his client can play. "We don't really have any comment about where he's going to play," Rosenhaus said. "We'll keep that between us and the Niners, but obviously, we are here with the right intentions."
If an agreement is reached, the 49ers have three options for Aiyuk's future. They can release him, which remains the most likely outcome. They can trade him, a move the front office prefers but has not yet executed. Or they can add him to the 53-man roster, a possibility general manager John Lynch called a long shot in January. The trade deadline is Tuesday.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan was not present for the meeting. In a news conference earlier in the day, he stated that the football team's relationship with Aiyuk is effectively finished. "It's been over for our football team for a long time," Shanahan said. "I look at this as zero to do with our football team."
