Brandon Aiyuk returns to 49ers offices to seek NFL reinstatement as $13 million problem looms — SkimNews
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- Brandon Aiyuk returned to the 49ers' offices on Friday, November 6, with agent Drew Rosenhaus, saying he is "back to 100%" and healthy and has begun the necessary steps to file for NFL reinstatement.
- Tom Pelissero of The Ringer reports that Aiyuk owes the 49ers about $13 million in bonus forfeiture, with the NFL management council and the NFL Players Association both working toward a resolution that may take time.
- San Francisco still owns Aiyuk's rights, so once the league reinstates him the 49ers must trade or release him — and the earlier public search for a trade market produced no bidders.
- Kyle Shanahan said he "couldn't care less" what happened during Friday's meeting and had "no clue" what to expect from Aiyuk and Rosenhaus, saying he has moved on from the drama.
- Aiyuk's four-year, $120 million extension, signed in August 2024 at $30 million per season, was undercut when the 49ers voided about $27 million of salary guarantees the following July for unmet contract obligations and placed him on the reserve/left squad list.
- Aiyuk's 2023 peak produced 75 catches, 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns, a league-best 81.3% first-down-or-touchdown rate and seven 100-yard games alongside Jerry Rice — before his ACL tear in Week 7 of 2024 against the Chiefs cost him the rest of that season and all of 2025.
- Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office issued a misdemeanor warrant, still active, after Aiyuk filmed himself driving 104 mph near the 49ers' stadium, part of a saga that included skipping June 2024 minicamp, demanding a trade and posting social media rants at the team.
Why it matters: Reinstatement is only the first gate: roughly $13 million in forfeited bonuses remains unresolved, and the 49ers still own Aiyuk's rights, so San Francisco controls his next team after failing to find a trade market — with the NFL management council and NFLPA already working the money dispute in parallel.
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