Kyle Shanahan Has No Expectation as Brandon Aiyuk Starts Reinstatement Process

• Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday he expects nothing from Brandon Aiyuk’s visit to the 49ers’ facility and has moved on mentally, per Pro Football Talk.
• Aiyuk has started the process of being reinstated from the reserve/left squad list, and Adam Schefter reported he will arrive at the facility Friday.
• Once Aiyuk is off the list, San Francisco can release him, trade him or welcome him back to the active roster.

Shanahan Closes the Door as Aiyuk Moves to Return

Kyle Shanahan was asked what he expects from Brandon Aiyuk when the receiver walks into the 49ers’ facility later this week. The San Francisco head coach needed only a few words to answer.

“None. I have no expectation,” Shanahan said. “I’ve kind of moved on with that mentally and doing kind of how I talked to you guys two months ago. Nothing’s really changed for me.”

He said it at his Wednesday press conference, with Aiyuk’s reinstatement process already under way. Part of that process involves Aiyuk reporting to the team’s facility, unless the 49ers release him first.

What Shanahan Said About the Options

The two-month reference points to September, when Shanahan was asked whether the team’s injury problems at wide receiver had made him think about bringing Aiyuk back. His answer then was a strong no.

On Wednesday, Shanahan said he has not held any conversations about a roster exemption. An exemption would give the 49ers more time to explore a trade. Without one, the team has three choices once Aiyuk is off the left squad list: release him, trade him or return him to the active roster.

Asked whether he could envision any scenario in which Aiyuk plays for San Francisco again, Shanahan said there are “no absolutes.” The rest of his answers left little room for a comeback.

How the Saga Got Here

Aiyuk tore his ACL in October 2024 and began the 2025 season on the PUP list while he rehabbed. Thirteen months after the injury came word that the 49ers had voided $27 million of his 2026 salary guarantees. The team placed him on the reserve/left squad list in December.

General manager John Lynch said 10 months ago that it was safe to say Aiyuk had played his last snap for the 49ers.

Aiyuk spent the offseason criticizing the team on social media and appearing to angle for a move to the Washington Commanders, where he would reunite with his college quarterback, Jayden Daniels. The 49ers still owned his rights, so he needed to file for reinstatement and then be acquired by trade. He did not complete those steps in the offseason.

This week Aiyuk hired agent Drew Rosenhaus. “Brandon is healthy and ready to get back on the field,” Rosenhaus said.

What San Francisco Can Do Next

Release is considered the most likely outcome if Aiyuk is reinstated. A trade looks harder. Analyst Mike Florio says no deal could happen before Tuesday’s deadline unless Aiyuk restructured his contract to the league minimum or close to it, and calls a trade highly unlikely given his 2026 base salary of $26.150 million. A release after the deadline would send Aiyuk through waivers, Florio says.

Florio says it is still unknown whether the Commanders, or any team, would want Aiyuk, and that nothing on that front moves until the 49ers release him.

The Receiver San Francisco Is Deciding On

In 2023, Aiyuk caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns on the way to Super Bowl LVIII. His 3.1 yards per route run that year ranked third in the NFL behind Tyreek Hill and Nico Collins, and 81.3% of his receptions went for a first down or a touchdown, first in the league.

The next offseason, Aiyuk staged a “hold-in” at training camp that led to the four-year, $120 million extension he wanted. In 2024, he reached 50 receiving yards in one of the seven games he played before the ACL tear. The Jets have a star receiver question of their own in Garrett Wilson’s future with the team.

Aiyuk is due at the facility Friday, per Schefter’s report. Shanahan has already said what he expects to find there. Another NFL head coach fielding a pointed question this week was Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who spoke about a disputed false start.