Brandon Aiyuk Reinstated To The NFL – Now What?

If they had a choice, the San Francisco 49ers might prefer having fake wide receiver Daejon Love on their team over real-life wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

Of course, alleged scammer Love is in custody in Oregon awaiting trial on charges that he scammed more than two dozen women out of $2.6 million by pretending to be a 49ers player.

Meanwhile, Aiyuk is free to play after being granted reinstatement by the NFL. The league has given the 49ers a two-week roster exemption, meaning he won’t count against the team’s 53-man roster until Nov. 23. However, the team could trade or release him before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. trading deadline. What’s looking increasingly unlikely is that he’ll ever suit up for the Niners again.

Let’s rewind. Aiyuk, 28, suffered a season-ending injury against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season, tearing his ACL and MCL. He was placed on injured reserve. In December 2025, the 49ers placed him on the reserve list again after he reportedly stopped communicating with the team while rehabbing his knee.

That kicked off a bizarre saga in which Aiyuk left $26 million on the table this year rather than participate in team activities. He also took shots at the organization on social media, announced plans to play for the Washington Commanders and then appeared to take aim at quarterback Jayden Daniels — the very player he had cited as a reason for wanting to join the team.

Last week, Aiyuk hired NFL power agent Drew Rosenhaus, whose agency represents more than 170 players, making his desire to return to the league public. Aiyuk and Rosenhaus met with the 49ers on Friday to “put their best foot forward,” according to Rosenhaus. The meeting lasted about 75 minutes. Afterward, Rosenhaus offered a brief update: “To be continued.”

Beyond Aiyuk’s strained relationship with the team, there’s another issue to resolve: The 49ers say he owes them $13 million related to his roster bonus. That was one of the matters discussed during Friday’s meeting.

Afterward, Aiyuk told reporters, “I’m feeling great, feeling healthy. 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.”

The Niners’ ownership and coach Kyle Shanahan have made it clear they don’t expect Aiyuk to play for the team again. Asked about the situation last week, Shanahan characterized any reinstatement as “administrative” and said he “couldn’t care less” about Aiyuk’s return.

Aiyuk spent five seasons with the Niners, from 2020 through 2024. His final season was cut short by the injury, and he hasn’t played since October 2024. His best season came in 2023, when he recorded 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns, earning second-team All-Pro honors.

Aiyuk says he’s healthy and ready to get back on the field. But nobody has seen him play in more than two years.

That’s a particularly important question considering that, just before the 2024 season began, he signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension.

On Tuesday, Rosenhaus said Aiyuk will work out for any interested teams, but that he’d prefer to play for a team that “knows him.” That seems coded to the Commanders, but he also said Aiyuk is willing to return to the Niners. However, the Colts traded WR Keenan Allen to San Francisco, which seems an indication that that’s who they see in their plans moving forward.

The Niners are leading the NFC West with a 7-1 record.

“I just think he’s in a good place,” Rosenhaus told ESPN before Tuesday’s trading deadline. “Just getting to know him over the last week, I’m confident in his future moving forward.”