San Francisco 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk is inching closer to returning to the NFL as he turned in paperwork to be reinstated, his new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN. Moreover, Aiyuk plans to report to the club’s training facility on Nov. 6 as he gets off the reserved/left squad list.
After that, it will be up to the Niners to either cut, trade, or keep him. Nonetheless, it seems that Aiyuk will likely be on another team; whether the Niners cut or trade him will be the question.
When it comes to a potential landing spot, former NFL QB Chase Daniels believes that the Kansas City Chiefs would make sense for Aiyuk given the team’s need for wideout help due to their injuries. Furthermore, the veteran wouldn’t cost them much, especially if he comes as a free agent.
“What about a guy who just got, well, not reinstated, but Brandon Aiyuk is going to the 49ers,” Daniels said during a Nov. 4 appearance on “Up & Adams.” “They have to keep him or release him. They would not have to trade for him. Now, obviously, I don’t know everything going on with that situation.
“[Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is] known for giving second and third chances. Is Brandon Aiyuk in shape? Is he not? It’s going to be an interesting standoff because he can report to the 49ers, and the 49ers either have to cut him or keep him.”
Is Brandon Aiyuk Ready to Play Football?
Moreover, Daniel does have a question of whether Aiyuk is ready to play football right away or if it will take him a few weeks to get into football shape, as he’s also coming off a severe right knee injury in 2024 that caused him to miss the entire 2025 season.
“There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it,” Daniel added. “So how does that situation play out? Interesting timing, too, right before the trade deadline. He could have done this in training camp. He could have done this all along, but he didn’t end up doing it. Just a name to watch for some teams out there.”
49ers Get Brandon Aiyuk Message as NFL Return Nears
While the 49ers don’t appear to be welcoming Aiyuk back with open arms, 49ers reporter Grant Cohn would like both sides to work out their differences, given that San Francisco does need receiver help and Aiyuk knows the offense and wouldn’t need time to pick it up.
“I would [like to see Aiyuk back on the 49ers],” Cohn said in a Nov. 3 video from his YouTube channel. “I don’t think he’s a bad person. I think he did some stupid stuff, and I think the Niners pushed him to the edge. I feel like both people could really redeem themselves.
“Wouldn’t it be a great story if they worked it out after all this, he came back, played well, and was a big figure on this team down the stretch? It would be huge. Iggy, imagine this: They go to the Super Bowl. It’s Super Bowl week, he’s on the team, and he’s helped bring them to the Super Bowl. He would be a media story.”
49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk Sees Potential Option Emerge Amid Uncertainty