Brandon Aiyuk's 49ers Future Addressed by John Lynch After WR Applies for NFL Reinstatement

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch was tight-lipped about the team's plan for Brandon Aiyuk after the veteran wide receiver applied for reinstatement on Wednesday following an 11-month stint on the reserve/left squad list.

Appearing on KNBR's Murph & Markus show (h/t Harrison Rich of the San Francisco Chronicle ), Lynch said the situation with Aiyuk remains "fluid" and all options remain on the table:

"I'm gonna 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. ... I think everything's possible. I will say this: We've worked with (agent Drew Rosenhaus) a lot. Drew is a good guy to deal with. He's reasonable, he's got integrity. … We'll see how this thing goes. I think I'll just leave it at that."

Aiyuk hired Drew Rosenhaus as his new agent earlier this week after firing his previous representation in November 2025.

Rosenhaus' first move was to apply for reinstatement on Aiyuk's behalf in order to help him get back to the NFL. Aiyuk is scheduled to report to the 49ers' facilities on Friday.

Assuming Aiyuk does appear at the facilities, it will mark his first time back in the building with the Niners since sometime in 2025. He had been rehabbing a knee injury suffered midway through the 2024 season with the expectation he would return to play at some point.

However, in November 2025, it was reported the 49ers were voiding the remaining guaranteed money on Aiyuk's contract because he had gone months without attending meetings or taking part in other team activities.

The following month, Aiyuk was placed on the reserve/left squad list . Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have given no indication they would bring him back into the fold amid this ongoing saga.

Shanahan told reporters on Wednesday he has "no expectation" for Aiyuk's return to the facilities and he has "moved on mentally" from the entire situation.

Since Aiyuk has been on the reserve/left squad list, he does not count against the 49ers' roster or salary cap. If he ends up being released, the Niners would take on a $31.6 million dead-cap hit between 2026 and '27.

Aiyuk played a total of seven games after signing a four-year, $120 million extension with San Francisco in August 2024. The 28-year-old had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2022 and '23.