Brandon Aiyuk Files To Be Reinstated, Future Unknown

Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has filed for reinstatement, according to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus.

Aiyuk has not played in the NFL since 2024, and after turmoil between him and the San Francisco 49ers during that time, his next snap almost certainly won’t be with the team that drafted him in 2020.

Aiyuk tore his meniscus, ACL, and MCL, which kept him out for a lengthy period, but his failure to fulfill team duties, such as reporting his progress, attending team meetings, and check-ins, cost him roughly $27 million in guaranteed earnings and a spot on the left squad list.

The 49ers will likely release Aiyuk once the paperwork goes through. The team has been adamant that they are not open to him returning to San Francisco.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said “no” when asked whether he’d be open to making up with Aiyuk after he openly voiced his displeasure with the thought of “doing business with the team.”

As for where Aiyuk is headed next, who knows? He talked about playing for the Washington Commanders with former teammate Jayden Daniels at Arizona State, but the team isn’t really looking for a receiver right now.

Other possibilities include him being released and not signing with a team until the offseason, or the 49ers trading him before the deadline on Tuesday, November 10. The team has not been successful in those attempts in the past.

Aiyuk, 28, had back-to-back 1,000-yard-plus seasons in the two years previous to his injury. He is not old by any means, and there is certainly a reason to take a chance on him for many teams given his upside. The two concerns on everyone’s mind when considering signing or trading for him will be how he’s handled the situation in San Francisco, and the fact that tearing all those ligaments can certainly leave players coming back as a shell of themselves.

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Article by Robert Blute