Brandon Aiyuk Hires Drew Rosenhaus, Agent Working to Get Him Back in the NFL

Brandon Aiyuk is trying to find his way back onto a football field. The estranged 49ers receiver has hired Drew Rosenhaus, and the agent told ESPN's Adam Schefter he's "working on getting him back to work and playing again in the NFL."

Aiyuk hasn't played since Oct. 20, 2024, when he tore the ACL, MCL and meniscus in his right knee against the Chiefs. Things went downhill with the 49ers from there. In July 2025, the team voided roughly $27 million in guaranteed money on his contract because he didn't do the required rehab sessions and check-ins. He stopped showing up at the facility and was placed on the reserve/left squad list last December, and when he didn't report to training camp this July, he went to the reserve/did not report list.

That's where he sits now, so he isn't being paid and doesn't count against San Francisco's roster. To play again, he first has to apply to the NFL for reinstatement, ESPN's Nick Wagoner explained. Then the 49ers would have to decide what to do with his rights. They've tried and failed to trade him before, and a release is the more likely outcome. John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have said repeatedly that he's played his last snap for the team. When Shanahan was asked in September about a possible reunion despite injuries at receiver, his answer was "no."

Aiyuk, 28, was a first-round pick in 2020 and was one of the league's most productive receivers before the injury, with 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns as a second-team All-Pro in 2023. He has openly floated joining Jayden Daniels, his former Arizona State teammate, in Washington, but the Commanders have since added Stefon Diggs.

Hiring Rosenhaus is the first concrete sign that Aiyuk wants to play this season. With the 49ers 6-1, he won't be doing it in San Francisco.