The NFL has told disgruntled wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk he must pay the San Francisco 49ers about $13 million he previously received in bonuses while trying to work his way back onto the team’s roster.
Aiyuk’s new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said earlier this week that Aiyuk had officially submitted his paperwork to the NFL to return and was planning to report to the 49ers on Friday.
A person with knowledge of the situation said the league sent Aiyuk and the NFLPA a letter Thursday saying he owes the 49ers money based on bonuses he was paid after signing a four-year, $120 million extension shortly before the start of the 2024 season. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the letter was not made public.
The Ringer first reported that the Niners were asking Aiyuk for the money.
Brandon Aiyuk has not played in an NFL game since the 2024 season and has been on the Restricted List. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
San Francisco general manager John Lynch told the team’s flagship radio station KNBR on Thursday that it was a “unique” situation 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 a different situation,” Lynch said. “It’s fluid. I’ll leave it at that because I’ve been recommended to do it, and I think it’s the right thing to do. We’re going to look for a path for both sides here that works.”
Aiyuk hasn’t played in a game in more than two years since going down with a knee injury in October 2024 and has been on the reserve/left tackle list since leaving the Niners at the end of last season.
He fired agent Ryan Williams during his long dispute with the 49ers and was without representation until recently hiring Rosenhaus.
Aiyuk will remain under contract with the 49ers after returning from the NFL. Lynch has previously said he doesn’t expect Aiyuk to play again for the Niners, while coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday when asked if Aiyuk could play again for San Francisco that there are “no absolutes in life.”
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Receiver Brandon Aiyuk has applied to return to the San Francisco 49ers from the reserve/left tackle list and plans to report to the team later this week.
The 49ers previously voided the $27 million guaranteed in Aiyuk’s 2026 contract for failing to attend meetings and other team activities last summer while he was rehabbing a knee injury.
Aiyuk signed the big extension just before the start of the 2024 season after a lengthy contract that kept him out of training camp. He was coming off a 2023 season in which he had 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns and was a second-team All-Pro.
Aiyuk had just 25 catches for 374 yards in seven games in 2024 before getting hurt. The 28-year-old has 294 catches for 4,305 yards and 25 TDs since being drafted in the first round in 2020.
Reporting by the Associated Press.
