Brandon Aiyuk is a Quitter! Pick #25, 2020 NFL Draft

Whats that even mean he owes the 49ers $13 mill? so he cant play or get cut until he pays them back??

Originally posted by captveg:

Originally posted by frenchmov:

Veteran WR Brandon Aiyuk owes the 49ers roughly $13 million in bonus forfeiture — a potential complication in his efforts to secure his release by reporting to the facility Friday.

The NFL Management Council and the NFL Players Association are both involved in attempting to… pic.twitter.com/APRRlExe3j

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 6, 2026

Seems like a scenario ripe for negotiation.

Going to be an interesting day tomorrow.

Originally posted by frenchmov:

Originally posted by AB81Rules:
Yeah this is likely from his signing bonus and I was told by people that he wouldn't have to give back any of his signing bonus, I told them the 49ers would get it back.

I hope the niners claw back every cent. I don't often side with billionaire owners but Aiyuk is a b***h

I'm just tired of overpaid players acting like this. Play the F ing game. Stop all the BS.

Is this something where we're going to get a bombshell resolution of some sort tomorrow night (ie he gets cut, released, agrees to discuss trades, agrees to come back, etc) or is this going to drag on for a long time?

Originally posted by Fanaticofnfl:
Is this something where we're going to get a bombshell resolution of some sort tomorrow night (ie he gets cut, released, agrees to discuss trades, agrees to come back, etc) or is this going to drag on for a long time?

They have a meeting tomorrow. I think it will all be sorted out next week

Originally posted by Fanaticofnfl:
Is this something where we're going to get a bombshell resolution of some sort tomorrow night (ie he gets cut, released, agrees to discuss trades, agrees to come back, etc) or is this going to drag on for a long time?

who knows, but Im sure you can bet on it on "prediction market" of your choice

Originally posted by AB81Rules:
I'm not 100% sure but it doesn't just go away, since it's still counting against the salary cap right now, so I think, not 100% sure, he's still entitled to it if he reports and they don't cut him.

I mentioned this earlier, referencing David Lombardi's reporting (where he believes the money just evaporates). I'm not sure what happens with this money… it's unclear, and trust me I've dug through every piece of the related portions of the CBA.

If he wasn't on the left squad list I believe this money would have converted to base salary. That may still be the case (prorated).

This is not the way these penalties are calculated, lol.

I think he has been banged on the head too many times. A bit like that other WR - AB. I wonder if the cops will arrest him on his outstanding warrant just to add to the circus?

Damn all this s**t seems like such a stupid distraction right now but I guess only from an outsider perspective. I'm guessing all the players couldn't give a flying f**k. They just don't need any dumbass distraction though, from the task at hand.

If he didn't like the way they negotiated his contract before, it's going to get worst from here on out. If it goes into arbitration, It will get ugly and costly for BA.

Originally posted by SmokeyJoe:

The 49ers paid Brandon Aiyuk:

$23 million signing bonus in 2024
$22.9 million option bonus in 2025

$45.9 million total. He left the team about 3/4 of the way through the 2025 season, so a 28% bonus forfeiture (signing bonus counts over 5 years) of that is $13 million

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) November 6, 2026

This is not the way these penalties are calculated, lol.

I saw AB81Rules in the tweet replies. He mentioned

Option bonuses aren't subject to forfeiture, so that $13m comes from his signing bonus

That is wrong. Option bonuses are forfeitable

signing bonus, roster bonus, option bonus and/or reporting bonus, and no other Salary, for each League Year in which a Forfeitable Breach occurs

https://overthecap.com/collective-bargaining-agreement/article/4

My napkin math based on the CBA is closer to 7M (doesn't include the 2025 postseason). I think the signing bonus can get complicated too. Aiyuk should be pointing to the fifth-year option on the rookie contract he extended. The extension minimized his salary from 14.124M in salary (fully gtd) to 1.125M in salary. That rest of the 12.999M in salary didn't just disappear. It showed up as part of the 23M signing bonus. The team also was credited back 3.331M when they were paid out the insurance on Aiyuk. Would they be allowed to double dip on the reimbursement?

Just find a way to get rid of him asap. We don't need this crap in the middle of a great season so far.

Originally posted by Goatie:

Originally posted by Typecast:
I saw AB81Rules in the tweet replies. He mentioned

Option bonuses aren't subject to forfeiture, so that $13m comes from his signing bonus

That is wrong. Option bonuses are forfeitable

signing bonus, roster bonus, option bonus and/or reporting bonus, and no other Salary, for each League Year in which a Forfeitable Breach occurs

https://overthecap.com/collective-bargaining-agreement/article/4

My napkin math based on the CBA is closer to 7M (doesn't include the 2025 postseason). I think the signing bonus can get complicated too. Aiyuk should be pointing to the fifth-year option on the rookie contract he extended. The extension minimized his salary from 14.124M in salary (fully gtd) to 1.125M in salary. That rest of the 12.999M in salary didn't just disappear. It showed up as part of the 23M signing bonus. The team also was credited back 3.331M when they were paid out the insurance on Aiyuk. Would they be allowed to double dip on the reimbursement?

Option bonuses are forfeitable if they are paid in the same year a breach occurs - this opens up forfeitable salary from 2025 I believe.

The CBA says insurance payouts are viewed as refunds from the player, so I assume they can't double dip.

Reading Lombardi's actual article,

The 49ers can then subject Aiyuk, who hasn't played since tearing multiple knee ligaments in October 2024, to a physical. If Aiyuk doesn't pass that physical, he could go on injured reserve and not cost the 49ers a roster spot. Because Aiyuk was on the left squad list at the time his $24.9 million option bonus for 2026 was due, the 49ers didn't have to pay that money and would owe Aiyuk only the prorated remainder of his $1.2 million veteran-minimum base salary.

That would amount to about $715,000. If the 49ers release Aiyuk, the $21.2 million already paid to him that hasn't yet counted against the cap would accelerate onto the 49ers' 2026 and 2027 books instead of remaining prorated through 2029.

Since when does the option bonus just completely disappear if he goes on IR? The 49ers didn't exercise a mechanism to prorate the lump sum bonus over multiple years. Not exercising the bonus just keeps the money payable weekly with no proration in the cap account, not eliminate the cash entirely. Is there something tied to a quasi-reinstatement-to-IR situation at play? (edit - I also don't think Aiyuk is going to fail the physical given the team wanted him to play last year on a non-guaranteed contract)