Kyle Shanahan seemingly shuts down Brandon Aiyuk return

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

49ers HC Kyle Shanahan seemingly shuts down Brandon Aiyuk return with blunt comment

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Nov 4, 2026 5:30 PM ET

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk reportedly filed for reinstatement on Wednesday from the team's reserve/left squad list. Head coach Kyle Shanahan couldn't care less.

After suffering a severe right knee injury in October 2024, Aiyuk has been absent from the Niners. Shanahan made it clear the team won't welcome him with open arms, even as he takes steps toward a return.

Kyle Shanahan reacts to Brandon Aiyuk news

"None. I have no expectation," Shanahan said Wednesday when asked if he expects Aiyuk to report to team headquarters on Friday. "I've kind of moved on with that mentally."

The 49ers could use another WR with Mike Evans battling an Achilles issue, but Shanahan doesn't want to deal with a potential pain in the neck in Aiyuk. The WR posted several bizarre videos to social media this offseason, while petitioning for a trade to the Washington Commanders. In one of those posts, he said the coach has the temperament of a "toddler."

"I have no expectation. I’ve kind of moved on with that mentally.”

49ers HC Kyle Shanahan on Brandon Aiyuk on reportedly reporting back to the team on Friday. pic.twitter.com/WcmAEZIFym
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) November 4, 2026

Aiyuk's comment further burned the bridge with the 49ers, who were already planning to move on from him after the 2025 season.

"It's safe to say he has played his last game with the 49ers," general manager John Lynch said in January. "It's an unfortunate situation that went awry. I will look long and hard at what could've been done differently, but sometimes it just doesn't work out. I think this was a case where this happened."

Aiyuk may be having regrets as well. The 49ers will almost certainly release him if the NFL reinstates him.

The WR caught 294 passes for 4,305 yards and 25 touchdown catches in his first five seasons and earned a second-team All-Pro nod in 2023. Teams, however, want to know what you have done lately. Considering Aiyuk has done little since 2024, he won't attract many (if any) suitors in free agency.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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