San Francisco 49ers Hold Brandon Aiyuk’s NFL Future In Their Hands As Drew Rosenhaus Reveals Two-Week Plan

Drew Rosenhaus says Brandon Aiyuk will play this season, with or without the San Francisco 49ers.© Image via: X/@NFL_DovKleiman

Two weeks can change a career. For Brandon Aiyuk, the clock started ticking on November 9, when the NFL cleared him to return after more than a year away. The San Francisco 49ers now hold his future in their hands, and head coach Kyle Shanahan sounds unmoved. Enter Drew Rosenhaus, the agent who also represents Tyreek Hill. He has taken over, arranged a meeting with the team's front office, and says a new home could be waiting. Will the wide receiver play again this season, and where? The answer arrives soon enough, on November 23.

Brandon Aiyuk And The San Francisco 49ers Face A Two-Week Countdown

Brandon Aiyuk has not played since he tore his ACL and MCL in his right knee against the Kansas City Chiefs on October 20, 2024. That hurt, because he was riding high. In 2023, he caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns, and he earned second-team All-Pro honors.

Rosenhaus moved fast. A meeting at the team's business offices followed on November 6, then a physical, which Aiyuk passed. The league reinstated him on November 9. Because he sat out so long, the 49ers received a two-week roster exemption. Rosenhaus explained the choice on The Pat McAfee Show.

“Well, Brandon will either play for the 49ers when the two weeks is up or they can decide to release him, by which he will be a free agent. And I expect that there will be interest in him. I definitely expect him to play this season.”

Shanahan's reply left little doubt.

#NFL NEWS The San Francisco #49ers are expected to release WR, Brandon Aiyuk, sometime tomorrow. https://t.co/ILbH4vS9kY

— Full Court Press (@FCPressSports) November 10, 2026

“It means absolutely nothing to our team. I think we got a two-week roster exemption and that's all administrative stuff to me.”

Drew Rosenhaus Eyes A Fresh Start For Brandon Aiyuk After The San Francisco 49ers Decide

That points toward a split. Rosenhaus says Aiyuk has been running routes and catching passes on his own, and he offered to set up a workout for any interested club. His best guess is a team with a link to Aiyuk, through Arizona State or San Francisco, since the NFL leans on familiar faces.

Money could complicate things. The league told Aiyuk and the NFL Players Association that he owes the 49ers about $13 million in bonuses. The team also voided $27 million in 2026 guarantees after he missed required meetings and team activities during rehab. Rosenhaus says Aiyuk has paid nothing yet and wants to settle it apart from his playing status.

Here is the practical read. Any team that signs him must trust a knee that has not seen game action in over a year, and the cash dispute may shape his market. Still, contenders short on pass catchers will watch November 23 closely. Rosenhaus is pitching a similar story for Tyreek Hill, a free agent who is still waiting on medical clearance.