It has become abundantly clear that the NFL is delaying the reinstatement of 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk from the reserve/left squad list. It has also become abundantly clear that the 49ers hope to squeeze some cash out of Aiyuk before the league lets him back in.
It’s no surprise, then, that Friday’s sit-down between Aiyuk, agent Drew Rosenhaus, and the 49ers did not resolve the situation.
“Hey, guys,” Rosenhaus told a group of reporters who had staked out the Friday meeting. “To be continued. We don’t have any further statements right now. But when we do, we’ll let you know.”
The situation seems pretty simple. Aiyuk arguably owes the 49ers upwards of $13 million. It’s one thing for the 49ers to have the ability to chase him around for the cash; it’s another for the NFL and the 49ers to delay his reinstatement to the league until he wires the funds.
That seems to be precisely where things stand. And the question becomes whether Aiyuk will be willing to strike a deal with the 49ers in order to secure the ability to return to the NFL, with another team.