The league gave San Francisco a two week roster exemption to trade or release the receiver, who has not played since injuring his knee in October 2024.
Brandon Aiyuk is back in the NFL's good graces, if not the 49ers'. The league reinstated the receiver from the reserve/left squad list on Monday, a year after he left the team, and granted San Francisco a two-week roster exemption that runs until Nov. 23 before he has to count against the 53-man roster.
Aiyuk pushed for reinstatement after hiring Drew Rosenhaus as his agent and met with the 49ers last Friday to make his case for a return. He says he is healthy and wants back in the league after more than two years out following his October 2024 knee injury.
The 49ers aren't interested. Management has made clear Aiyuk has no future with the team, a stance rooted in his unexcused departure that got him placed on the reserve/left-team list back in December 2025. That leaves two real options during the exemption window: trade him before Tuesday's deadline or release him outright. Keeping him on the roster is reportedly off the table.
For now, Aiyuk is a man with a job status but no job. The 49ers have two weeks to decide how to close the book on him.