The 49ers reinstated Aiyuk (personal) from the reserve/left squad list Monday and were granted a two-week roster exemption for the wide receiver, Tom Pelissero of Netflix reports.
In what amounted to a procedural transaction after Aiyuk met with team officials Friday upon filing his paperwork for reinstatement, the 49ers now have until Nov. 23 to either add him to the 53-man roster, release him or trade him. Given that Aiyuk owes the 49ers roughly $13 million in bonus forfeiture, securing a release from the team could prove difficult, though it's possible that the two sides work out a repayment plan that would allow him to become a free agent. In addition to the financial complications potentially delaying Aiyuk's return to the field, it's unclear if the 49ers or any other team have interest in rostering the 28-year-old wideout, who hasn't played an NFL snap since tearing the ACL and MCL in his right knee Oct. 20, 2024 and undergoing surgery.