What's next for 49ers now that NFL has reinstated Brandon Aiyuk?

Cam Inman, The Mercury News on Nov 9, 2026

Published in Football

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brandon Aiyuk has been reinstated by the NFL, which granted the San Francisco 49ers a two-game roster exemption as they presumably finalize his exit strategy.

The 49ers might need less than 24 hours, so long as another team bites on a trade for Aiyuk before Tuesday’s 1 p.m. PT deadline.

Coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have made no overtures about incorporating Aiyuk into this season’s NFC-leading squad despite injuries to top wide receivers Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, De’Zhaun Stribling and Ricky Pearsall.

“It means absolutely nothing to our team,” Shanahan said Monday on a media conference call. “We have a two-week roster exemption. That’s all administrative stuff to me.”

Aiyuk, two years since last playing for the 49ers and sustaining a significant knee injury, expedited his comeback bid by meeting last Friday at a Santa Clara office building with his agent and 49ers officials, whom he identified only as “the big bosses.”

“I’m feeling great, feeling healthy,” the casually dressed Aiyuk said Friday upon arriving for the meeting with agent Drew Rosenhaus. “It was a long recovery process, a long rehab process, but I’m back to 100 percent and looking to get reinstated to the National Football League.”

Rosenhaus did not immediately return a message seeking comment Monday.

Now that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell granted his return, the 49ers have until Monday, Nov. 23 to move AIyuk onto their 53-man roster or to let him leave after 6 1/2 seasons with the team. They could release him at any point, and they have until 1 p.m. PT Tuesday to trade him.

“Don’t really have any comment about where he’s going to play,” Rosenhaus said Friday before the meeting that took place blocks away from the 49ers’ main headquarters at their off-site offices that house marketing and other business departments. “We’ll keep that between us and the Niners, but obviously we’re here with all the right intentions.”

The 49ers are reportedly seeking to recoup $13 million from Aiyuk for previous bonuses in the wake of him leaving the team last season. The team voided some $27 million in 2026 guarantees in July 2025 reportedly because he did not follow the team’s rehabilitation plan. Although he showed up for training camp and shadowed practices through September, he then left the team and was placed on the reserve/left squad list in December.

If Aiyuk remains on the 49ers in two weeks, he’ll be owed a game check for that week prorated to a $1.17 million salary, his 2025 figure that carried over to this season because he left the squad, per ProFootballTalk.com. Thus, if a team trades for him, Aiyuk would be owed $585,000 in non-guaranteed money this season.

Trade deadline talk

Shanahan is leaving final trade talks up to Lynch, as usual for the duo in its 10th season running the 49ers.

“I sit and hang out in my office and study the crap out of the Cowboys and worry about the team we have,” Shanahan said. “If someone comes up, John will come down, bring the name to my attention and I’ll look at him if I haven’t already.”

Two weeks ago, the 49ers traded for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, whom they initially dealt to the Colts in 2020.

Health updates

— Defensive tackle Gracen Halton’s rookie season is over because of a left-ankle dislocation and fracture late in Sunday’s 38-17 win over the Raiders. He will have surgery this week and go on Injured Reserve, coach Kyle Shanahan said.

— Defensive tackle C.J. West (knee) will have his Injured Reserve activation window open on Wednesday.

— Wide receiver Deebo Samuel is expected to practice Wednesday for the first time since a hamstring injury Oct. 11 at Seattle.

— WR Mike Evans (Achilles) has missed the past 2 1/2 games and the 49ers are not expecting him back at practice Wednesday. “We’ll see how he is later in the week,” Shanahan said.

— Cornerbacks Renardo Green (back) and Deommodore Lenoir (foot) are day-to-day after being injured in the fourth quarter of the win over the Raiders on Sunday.

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