San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk finally did what everyone has been waiting more than a year for him to do — he filed for reinstatement.
However, getting back on the field may not be as simple as just turning in some paperwork.
Aiyuk, who hasn’t played since tearing his ACL and MCL in Week 7 of the 2024 season, showed up at the 49ers’ offices with new agent Drew Rosenhaus on Friday and declared himself ready to go.
“I’m feeling great, feeling healthy, been a long recovery process, long rehab process but I’m back to 100% and looking to get reinstated to the National Football League,” Aiyuk said.
The problem? The NFL still hasn’t signed off on it. And according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, there’s nothing that says it has to.
Brandon Aiyuk’s Reinstatement Far From Guaranteed
Until very recently, it was widely believed around the league that coming off the reserve/left squad list was nothing more than a formality.
The Aiyuk saga is proving otherwise.
As Florio pointed out, the Collective Bargaining Agreement doesn’t say a word about the reserve/left squad list. The rules in the NFL’s Player Personnel Handbook states that a player on the list “must apply to the Commissioner for reinstatement to his club’s Active List.”
The handbook never spells out what happens next. In Florio’s view, that implies Roger Goodell has seemingly unlimited discretion over whether — and when — to approve it.
“In Aiyuk’s case, the Commissioner has dragged his feet since October 27, setting the stage for an apparent effort by the 49ers to leverage Aiyuk’s desire to be reinstated to his willingness to reimburse up to $13 million in previously-paid bonus money,” Florio wrote.
Don’t expect the NFL Players Association to come to the rescue either. As Florio noted, the union has stayed silent throughout the process. Likely because there’s nothing in the CBA that allows them to do anything. The situation arguably falls under the league’s “management rights” clause, which gives teams wide latitude to run their operations.
“With no limitations in the CBA as to the operation of the reserve/left squad list (or reinstatement from it), the NFLPA may be without options,” Florio said.
Why the NFL is Holding Up Brandon Aiyuk’s Return
It all comes down to money — about $13 million of it.
The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero reported that Aiyuk owes the 49ers roughly $13 million in bonus forfeiture. The NFL reportedly told Aiyuk in a letter that he needs to pay it back as he seeks reinstatement.
The former All-Pro signed a four-year, $120 million extension in August 2024. But San Francisco voided $27 million in 2026 guarantees after he failed to attend meetings and team activities while rehabbing his knee. He was then placed on the reserve/left squad list last December.
Florio believes the league and the 49ers are working together to make Aiyuk’s reinstatement conditional on repaying San Francisco his bonus money.
“By tying the two together, the 49ers have found a way to condition Aiyuk’s reinstatement on his willingness to wire a significant payment to the 49ers,” Florio added. “Can the NFL and the 49ers do that? For now, they are. The question is whether Aiyuk and/or the NFLPA can come up with a legal argument against the obvious effort to block Aiyuk’s return until he returns millions to the 49ers.”
How it turns out is likely of little consequence to anyone with the 49ers. General manager John Lynch said Aiyuk has played his last snap for the team. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters he “couldn’t care less” about what happens with Aiyuk.
NFL Could Block 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk’s Return in Stunning New Twist