Exiled NFL star Brandon Aiyuk made his long-awaited return to the San Francisco 49ers‘ HQ on Friday afternoon amid his bid to get reinstated on their roster.
Aiyuk has not played an NFL game since tearing knee ligaments in October 2024, with many fearing for his future after a chaotic offseason saw him fail to report for training camp and threaten to tank his career to force an exit from San Francisco.
The wide receiver also remains the subject of an active arrest warrant in Santa Clara County – where the 49ers’ facility is situated – after he was allegedly caught driving at 104mph outside Levi’s Stadium earlier this year.
He is on the 49ers’ reserve/did not report list but Aiyuk’s new agent said Wednesday that the wide receiver is plotting a comeback after filing paperwork to be reinstated.
As a result, the embattled star headed to the team’s headquarters on Friday to meet with team executives in an attempt to find a resolution to his situation.
Aiyuk was seen arriving alongside agent Drew Rosenhaus, who immediately addressed the situation with gathered media.
Brandon Aiyuk made his long-awaited return to the San Francisco 49ers’ HQ on Friday
Aiyuk has not played an NFL game since tearing knee ligaments in October 2024, with many fearing for his future after a chaotic offseason saw him fail to report for training camp
Rosenhaus said: ‘We appreciate you guys showing up. Obviously, Brandon is here to meet with the team. Fortunately he’s feeling good, physically. He’s healthy and ready to get back to work. We don’t really have any comment on where he is going to play.
‘We’ll keep that between us and the 49ers. But obviously we’re here with all the right intentions,’ Rosenhaus concluded.
Aiyuk said: ‘Nice to see y’all. I’m feeling great, feeling healthy. It’s been a long recovery process but I’m back to 100 percent and looking to get reinstated into the National Football League.’
Earlier in the day, a heavy police presence had been spotted around the 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium. Rumors on social media claimed that officers were awaiting the wide receiver’s arrival given his active arrest warrant.
However, in a statement provided to the Daily Mail, the Santa Clara Police Department confirmed that ‘officers were in the area on an unrelated call for service’.
Meanwhile, prior to Aiyuk’s meeting with 49ers chiefs, head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about what to expect with the exiled star’s visit to the team’s facility.
‘No clue, your guess is as good as mine. I couldn’t care less. It’s been over for our football team for a long time… I look at this as it has zero to do with our football team.
‘And anything that has zero to do with our football team, especially during the football season. I will give zero thoughts to’, Shanahan explained.
Aiyuk said: ‘Nice to see y’all. I’m feeling great, feeling healthy. It’s been a long recovery process but I’m back to 100 percent and looking to get reinstated into the NFL’
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said he ‘couldn’t care less’ about Aiyuk’s potential return
Even if he is reinstated, however, Aiyuk is unlikely to ever return to the field for the 49ers. According to ESPN, the most likely outcome is San Francisco releasing him.
Aiyuk’s appearance comes amid reports that the NFL told disgruntled receiver Brandon Aiyuk that he needs to repay the San Francisco 49ers about $13 million he previously received in bonuses as he tries to get reinstated to the team’s roster.
Aiyuk’s new agent Rosenhaus said earlier this week that Aiyuk had officially submitted his paperwork to the NFL to get back and was planning to report to the 49ers on Friday.
‘Brandon is healthy and ready to get back on the field,’ Rosenhaus told ESPN.
A person with knowledge of the situation said the league sent Aiyuk and the NFLPA a letter Thursday saying that he owes the 49ers the money based on bonuses he was paid after signing a four-year, $120 million extension just before the start of the 2024 season.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the letter was not released.
San Francisco general manager John Lynch told the team’s flagship radio station KNBR on Thursday that it was a ‘unique’ situation that the team was trying to work through.
‘My job is to look out for the best interests of the 49ers, and as such, in this particular situation, we’re working with the NFL management council to navigate through kind of a different situation,’ Lynch said.
‘It’s fluid. I’m going to kind of leave it at that because I’ve been recommended to do so, and I think it’s the right thing to do. We’ll look for a pathway for both sides here that works.’
