San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is trying to get back on an NFL field for the first time in more than two years.
However, Friday was a reminder that his problems aren’t limited to football.
On Friday afternoon, Aiyuk and his new agent Drew Rosenhaus met with 49ers officials at the team’s business offices in Santa Clara. It’s the latest step in the former All-Pro’s push to be reinstated from the reserve/left squad list. Rosenhaus filed the reinstatement request on Oct. 27.
But hours before Aiyuk arrived, Santa Clara police cars were posted outside the team’s facility, and there’s still an active warrant out for his arrest.
Police Showed Up Before Aiyuk’s 49ers Meeting
The Athletic’s Vic Tafur was one of the first to notice the unusual visitors on Friday.
“Don’t usually see these guys outside before 49ers practice,” Tafur posted on X, along with a photo of two police cars.
The officers sped off with their sirens on shortly after Tafur’s photo, before Aiyuk got there, according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows. Still, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco that the warrant remains active.
The DA’s office issued the warrant in June on a misdemeanor charge of exhibition of speed, according to ESPN. It stems from a video Aiyuk posted to YouTube last December. In it, he appears to film himself from the driver’s seat of a Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing on Tasman Drive.
That road runs right past Levi’s Stadium with a 40 mph speed limit. Aiyuk hit speeds of up to 104 mph, according to SFGate. He apologized for the video a few days later.
When Rosenhaus was asked about the warrant on Friday, the agent looked back over his shoulder and kept it short: “We’re working on that.”
It’s believed that Aiyuk will need to resolve the arrest warrant before the NFL will approve his reinstatement.
Brandon Aiyuk Still Has a $13 Million Problem
Before the meeting, Aiyuk made it clear he’s ready to play.
“I’m feeling great, feeling healthy,” he told reporters. “A long recovery process, long rehab process, but I’m back to 100% and looking to get reinstated into the National Football League.”
Rosenhaus added: “Obviously, Brandon is here to meet with the team. Fortunately, he’s feeling good physically; he’s healthy, he’s ready to get back to work. Don’t really have any comment about where he’s going to play. We’ll keep that between us and the Niners. But obviously, we’re here with all the right intentions.”
About an hour later, they walked out with nothing to show for it.
“Hey, guys: to be continued,” Rosenhaus said. “We don’t have any further statements right now. But when we do, we’ll let you know.”
Asked who they met with, Aiyuk replied: “The big bosses, man. Big bosses, big business.”
The biggest sticking point to Aiyuk’s return is money.
The NFL told Aiyuk he owes the 49ers about $13 million in bonus money from the four-year, $120 million extension he signed in 2024. It’s been speculated the league is delaying Aiyuk’s reinstatement while the 49ers try to get that cash back.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan wasn’t part of the meeting. He told reporters he “couldn’t care less” about Aiyuk’s return.
It’s a big fall from grace for a two-time 1,000-yard receiver who caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023. He hasn’t played since tearing his ACL and MCL in October 2024.
Arrest Warrant Could Complicate 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk’s NFL Comeback