Overview
- When the 49ers set their initial 53-man roster on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, Brandon Aiyuk remained on the reserve/left squad list and did not occupy an active roster spot.
- General manager John Lynch said the designation means Aiyuk is not entitled to the scheduled Sept. 1 option bonus and that the team views Aiyuk as having defaulted on parts of his contract which voided roughly $27 million in guarantees.
- While Aiyuk remains under contract with San Francisco, the reserve/left squad status means he will not be paid while absent and cannot sign with another club unless he applies for NFL reinstatement and is released or cleared.
- Aiyuk publicly said in July that he would not seek reinstatement with the 49ers, and the team has taken symbolic steps to move on by reassigning his No. 11 jersey to Demarcus Robinson.
- The long-running split dates to December 13, 2025, when the 49ers placed him on the left-squad list after he stopped reporting while recovering from a 2024 knee injury, and the current situation leaves him in contractual limbo that could keep him off the field for the season.