One of the complications of the Brandon Aiyuk saga with the San Francisco 49ers came to light Thursday evening.
According to the Ringer's Tom Pelissero, Aiyuk owes the 49ers around $13 million in bonus forfeiture. That repayment could lead to a snag in the 49ers and Aiyuk resolving the year-plus long rift that led Aiyuk to land on the reserve/left squad list late last season. The bonus forfeiture comes from part of the $23 million signing bonus that came with the four-year, $120 million contract Aiyuk signed with the 49ers in August of 2024.
Aiyuk has hired agent Drew Rosenhaus and applied for reinstatement to the NFL. He's due to report to the 49ers' facility Friday to come off the reserve/left squad list. San Francisco general manager John Lynch
on Thursday called the situation "fluid" in an interview with KNBR in San Francisco. The NFL management council and the NFL Players' Association are both involved in trying to resolve the issue.
The goal of reporting for Aiyuk is to either be traded or released, although he'd likely prefer his outright release so he could choose a destination. San Francisco would have a difficult time trading the WR at this point given that he hasn't played since Week 7 of the 2024 season more than two years ago.
It's clear Aiyuk reporting to the 49ers team facility is just step one, and while the saga is closer to ending than it was before Aiyuk applied for reinstatement, it still may not be over any time soon.
More 49ers: 49ers full injury updates a mixed bag of news for 2nd Week 9 practice
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Report: WR Brandon Aiyuk owes 49ers $13 million
