Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is attempting to come back to the NFL after months of being in a standoff with the San Francisco 49ers. Following his example, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo Sanders might be planning to revive his short-lived career
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“Me next!” Sanders commented on an Instagram post via Rosenhaus Sports Representation, with a laughing face emoji.
Rosenhaus represents both Sanders and Aiyuk. The latter signed with the reputed sports agent after firing his previous one, Ryan Williams.
Sanders went undrafted in 2025 and signed with the Buccaneers, but they cut him that August after he was ejected for punching Zach Davidson in a preseason game. In May 2026, he said he had stopped training and had effectively retired. Sanders has since turned toward content creation, posting vlogs and live streaming to his fans.
But if Aiyuk has got a slim chance at restarting his troubled NFL career, why not Sanders? After all, despite everything, Aiyuk was reinstated by the league from his reserve/left squad designation, spending 11 months there.
So how did Aiyuk end up here? His situation has dragged on since last offseason. In July 2025, the 49ers voided roughly $27 million in guaranteed money on his contract, saying he skipped the rehab sessions and check-ins he was expected to complete. Things got worse in December, when Aiyuk was placed on the reserve/left squad list after he stopped visiting the facility entirely.
Soon enough, there was radio silence between Aiyuk and the 49ers. But this cold war-esque story was rekindled when the WR launched an attack on the team on social media. It spiraled into a series of posts showing his desire to play for the Washington Commanders and even roping the NFLPA into the drama.
The turning point came this month, when Aiyuk hired agent Drew Rosenhaus. Rosenhaus told ESPN’s Adam Schefter about the move at the start of November, then explained his thinking on The Pat McAfee Show on November 10.
“I’m in the business of helping players, and I felt like this was a player that could use my help,” Rosenhaus said. “He was in a dilemma, no man’s land. I have a great relationship with the 49ers; I have a lot of respect for Kyle Shanahan, John Lynch, and the 49ers organization. When Brandon hired me, I got on the phone and brought those two together. We went out and met with the team, and they gave Brandon a physical.
“He’s healthy, number one. He passed the physical. He was reinstated to the league, which is huge. But the NFL, like in any case, when a player’s out this long, gave the 49ers a two-week exemption.”
The 49ers now have two weeks to make a roster move that settles Aiyuk’s future with the team. Getting reinstated is a big step, but it doesn’t mean he’ll be playing for San Francisco again. The 49ers don’t seem interested, and Shanahan wasn’t shy about it.
“It means absolutely nothing to our team,” Shanahan said. “I think we got a two-week roster exemption and that’s all administrative stuff to me.”
Aiyuk hasn’t played in more than two years, since he injured his knee in October 2024 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Last week, he said he was ready to get back.
“I’m feeling great, feeling healthy. Long recovery process, long rehab process,” Aiyuk said. “But I’m back to 100 percent and looking to get reinstated into the National Football League.”
The date to watch is November 23, when the deadline will force the 49ers to make a decision on Aiyuk. Once the team makes its call, he and Rosenhaus can start working out where his career goes next.
When it comes to Shilo Sanders, he’s already made peace with the fact that his NFL career may not be revived. He is also currently awaiting a decision on his bankruptcy case, which is linked to an $11.89 million lawsuit. He was sued by his high school security guard, with whom he allegedly had a fight. If the court rules Sanders acted with malice, he will have to pay the amount. If not, the former safety does not have to pay the due compensation.
For Sanders, whether his own comeback ever gets going is a different question, but he’s clearly paying attention to how Aiyuk’s situation plays out.