Originally posted by swayze:
Does he need to pass a physical to be reinstated?
This is what is listed he has to do or has done . . . according to AI:
1. Submit Reinstatement Paperwork: The player must formally file a petition with the NFL to come off the Reserve/Left Squad list.
(Aiyuk's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, officially submitted this paperwork on November 4, 2026; he announced through Rosenhaus on Nov. 2nd they were doing it but Rosenhaus officially submitted the paperwork today).
2. Commissioner Approval: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell must process and formally approve the request to lift the reserve designation.
3. Report to the Facility: Once cleared by the league office to return, the player must physically report to the team's training facility.
(Aiyuk is scheduled to report to the 49ers on Friday, November 6).
I guess I wonder how long before Goodell approves and will it come with conditions? Like pay back some of his bonus and a suspension?
4. Pass a Team Physical: The team will subject the player to a thorough physical medical exam to evaluate their health and the condition of any prior injuries.
5. Roster Separation or Activation: Because the 49ers still own his contractual rights, they must execute a final decision once he is processed:
a) Release: Cut him from the roster, making him a free agent.
b) Trade: Finalize a trade with another team before the November 10 deadline.
c) Roster Placement: If he fails his physical, they can place him on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) or Injured Reserve (IR) list; if he passes and they keep him, he must be added back to the active 53-man roster. If he fails the plysical and they place him on the NFI, they don't have to pay him. If they put him on IR, then they pay him the prorated $1.2 million which is $715,000 for the rest of the year. Once cleared his 21 day window opens and once the team acknowledges he is healthy or designates him to return from IR, they must open a 21-day practice window.
• The Ultimate Decision: By the end of those 21 days (or as soon as he is fully cleared), the 49ers cannot keep him hidden on IR anymore. They must choose one of three paths:
1. Activate him to the 53-man roster.
2. Trade him (though if he is cleared after the November 10 trade deadline, this option is off the table).
3. Release him outright.
Given that head coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch have adamantly stated that Aiyuk has played his last snap in San Francisco, placing him on IR would simply buy the team a bit of temporary roster exemption time. The moment he is healthy, they will almost certainly release him, forcing him onto the waiver wire or into free agency.
The rules governing the NFL waiver wire change completely once the November 10 trade deadline passes. This change creates a massive hurdle for Brandon Aiyuk if he is released or cleared later in the year, as it strips away his ability to choose his own destination.
The NFL Post-Deadline Waiver Rule
• Vested Veterans Lose Free Agency: Normally, a "vested veteran" (a player with 4+ years of NFL service, like Aiyuk) becomes an unrestricted free agent immediately upon being released and can sign anywhere.
• The Post-Deadline Rule: Starting the day after the trade deadline (November 11, 2026), all players released by a team must pass through the waiver wire, regardless of how many years they have played in the league.
• Competitive Balance Guardrail: The NFL enforces this to stop elite, late-season cuts from simply walking onto a Super Bowl contender's roster. It forces talent to be distributed evenly through a claim system.
If the 49ers stash Aiyuk on Injured Reserve and release him after November 10, he will not get to choose his team:
Scenario Roster Mechanism How He Joins a New Team
Claimed on Waivers Teams have 24 hours to submit a claim. The interested team with the
worst record is automatically awarded his contract. He must play for them or sit out.
Clears Waivers Every NFL team passes on claiming him. He clears the wire and finally becomes a true free agent, letting him sign wherever he wants.
Who Handles His Low Contract?
Because the 49ers voided his massive guarantees, a team claiming him would only inherit his prorated veteran minimum contract—making him incredibly cheap. Because he is so inexpensive,
a struggling team with high waiver priority is highly likely to block contenders and claim him simply to secure his exclusive playing rights for the future.
Based on all that that is why Aiyuk and Rosenhaus are moving so quickly right now. After 5pm EST Tuesday, Aiyuk loses the ability to choose. It will be interesting to see how the 49ers handle all this. Bottom line to simplify I do believe the 49ers will end up releasing him.
Niner Talk » Brandon Aiyuk is a Quitter! Pick #25, 2020 NFL Draft
