Brandon Aiyuk filed paperwork for reinstatement from the 49ers’ reserve/left squad list on Nov. 4, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, citing agent Drew Rosenhaus. The move puts a $120 million contract and a very public feud with Washington’s quarterback back in front of the NFL.
Brandon Aiyuk Files For Reinstatement With A New Agent
Schefter broke the news on the morning of Nov. 4, with Rosenhaus as the source. Pro Football Rumors, CBS Sports, NFL.com and the Associated Press all followed. The earliest timestamped pieces appeared hours after the window opened, and nothing reviewed points to an earlier report.
Rosenhaus said the paperwork went in Wednesday. He plans to bring Aiyuk to the team facility in Santa Clara on Friday afternoon, Nov. 6, and called the receiver healthy and ready to get back on the field. The Associated Press reported that Aiyuk hired Rosenhaus after he parted ways with agent Ryan Williams. The 49ers have not issued a new statement, according to the reports. Coach Kyle Shanahan was due to speak Wednesday afternoon, and none of the coverage reviewed here captured his remarks.
The $120 Million Contract Behind The Standoff
Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million extension just before the 2024 season after a hold-in, according to CBS Sports and the Associated Press. He tore ligaments in his knee on Oct. 20, 2024. Pro Football Rumors says the injury involved the ACL and MCL, while CBS says ACL. He began 2025 on the physically unable to perform list and has not played since. The money then turned into a fight. CBS and the Associated Press say the 49ers voided $27 million of his 2026 guarantees.
The San Francisco Chronicle, in a column carried by Yahoo, said only that the team voided the guarantees after he skipped rehab sessions. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, via Pro Football Rumors, reported that the team cited missed meetings and an extremely distant presence in rehab. The Chronicle says Shanahan did not see Aiyuk for the final two months of last season.
The Associated Press says he has sat on the reserve/left squad list since late last season, while CBS says December. While he stays on that list, he draws no pay and takes no roster spot, per the Chronicle. Contract reporting from earlier this year adds a wrinkle. Pro Football Rumors reported on May 31 that unguaranteed 2027 and 2028 salaries stand at $27.27 million and $29.15 million, and that a post-June 1 release would carry about $35 million in dead money. That conflicts in framing with the Chronicle’s no-dead-money point, and the reports do not reconcile the two.
The Commanders Dream And The Jayden Daniels Exchange
Aiyuk made no secret of where he wants to land. On May 31, Fowler reported through Pro Football Rumors that two rival executives called him untradeable. In June, he posted an Instagram video that insulted the 49ers and said he would sign with the Washington Commanders if San Francisco released him. Pro Football Talk reported on June 26 that he first needed to apply for reinstatement before he could force a release.
On July 4, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported that a source said the Commanders would pursue him if quarterback Jayden Daniels wanted him. Aiyuk then unfollowed Daniels and posted videos that said “You follow my rules.” Daniels answered with a Kevin Durant thumbs-down image, according to Pro Football Talk.
The Chronicle reported that Aiyuk bought a $10 million home near the Commanders’ Ashburn, Virginia, facility and wore a Commanders hat while urging fans to buy tickets. After Shanahan’s July car-wreck injury, the Chronicle said Aiyuk posted that you cannot win the race if you crash out, and called the post tasteless. ESPN’s Dan Graziano, quoted by 49ers Webzone, said posts like these turned teams off, and he does not expect Washington to pursue him.
What Happens Next For Aiyuk And The 49ers
A trade to Washington requires reinstatement first. Once the league reinstates him, the 49ers can keep him, release him or trade him before the deadline. The Chronicle said keeping him is not an option for the team’s decisionmakers. ESPN reportedly said a release looks most likely, per CBS. NFL.com gives Nov. 10 as the trade deadline, and the Chronicle called it Tuesday, which lines up with that date.
Shanahan said no to a reunion in September, according to the Chronicle. Florio expects reinstatement to be automatic but flagged uncertainty, and none of the reports describe the league’s review timeline or criteria. The 49ers host the Raiders on Sunday after their bye. Watch Friday’s arrival at the facility, Shanahan’s comments, and any Commanders reaction. A release would let Aiyuk pick his next team, and the Commanders have shown no public interest.
