Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk owes the San Francisco 49ers roughly $13 million in bonus forfeiture, which could complicate his attempts to secure a release from the team, Tom Pelissero of The Ringer reports.
The NFL Players Association and NFL management council are attempting to resolve the situation, according to Pelissero. The 49ers and Aiyuk could reportedly reach an agreement to repay the money, or it could go to arbitration.
The 49ers placed Aiyuk on the reserve/left team list last December because he stopped showing up to the facility during his recovery from an ACL tear. He applied to be reinstated this week and plans to report to the team facility Friday, according to his new agent, Drew Rosenhaus.
"We will be there (Friday) at 3 p.m. to meet with the team at the facility," Rosenhaus told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Thursday. "We will put our best foot forward and go from there."
The 49ers can decide whether to keep or part ways with Aiyuk once he is reinstated, though general manager John Lynch said earlier this year that it was "safe to say" the wideout had already played his last snap for San Francisco.
Aiyuk hasn't played an NFL snap since he tore his ACL over two years ago in October 2024. The injury occurred just months after the franchise signed him to a four-year, $120-million extension with $76 million in total guarantees, including a $23 million signing bonus. San Francisco voided his guarantees due to his extended absence during the 2025 season.
The 28-year-old was a dependable receiver during his time with the team. He had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons before his knee injury. The 49ers drafted Aiyuk in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
