NFL reinstates receiver Brandon Aiyuk to the 49ers after he left the team last year

Receiver Brandon Aiyuk has been reinstated by the NFL to the San Francisco 49ers, a year after he left the team. The league removed Aiyuk from the reserve/left squad list on Monday and granted the Niners a two-week window to add him to the 53-man roster. Aiyuk requested reinstatement after securing Drew Rosenhaus as his agent. He met with the 49ers last Friday to rejoin the NFL.

Aiyuk had not played for over two years after suffering a knee injury in October 2024. However, he is confident and eager to return to the league. The 49ers have no plans to include Aiyuk on the roster and may trade or release him before the two-game exemption ends. The team is also seeking reimbursement from Aiyuk. The NFL informed Aiyuk and the NFL Players Association of a $13 million debt owed to the 49ers due to bonuses from his four-year, $120 million contract signed just before the 2024 season.

Aiyuk was on the reserve/left squad list since departing the 49ers last season. He fired his previous agent, Ryan Williams, during a protracted conflict with the 49ers and recently hired Rosenhaus. The 49ers had voided $27 million in guaranteed payments for 2026 due to Aiyuk's lack of participation in team activities while rehabilitating his knee injury in 2024.

After signing the big extension, Aiyuk missed the 2023 training camp due to contract holdouts. He had 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023 and was a second-team All-Pro. In 2024, he recorded 25 catches for 374 yards and a touchdown in seven games. The 28-year-old has accumulated 294 catches for 4,305 yards and 25 touchdowns since being drafted in the first round in 2020.