Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Tyquan Thornton

Tuesday, November 10, 12:41 PM

The San Francisco 49ers did not release wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on Tuesday, according to David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. Reports suggested that the 49ers were likely to release Aiyuk on Tuesday, but that did not end up happening. Aiyuk does not count for a roster spot during his two-week unpaid roster exemption after the league reinstated him from the left-squad list this week. The former first-rounder's roster exemption will expire on Monday, Nov. 23, after the team's Week 11 game against the Minnesota Vikings in Mexico City. He has been on the 49ers' left-squad list since last December, but he got the ball moving recently by hiring agent Drew Rosenhaus as he looks to play football in 2026. After tearing the ACL, MCL, and meniscus in his right knee in October of 2024 (he missed all of last year), Aiyuk said he is "feeling great." San Francisco has three options: release Aiyuk, trade him, or keep him. Keeping him is out of the question, with the most likely scenario coming in the form of his release. The trade option is now out of the window after the deadline passed on Tuesday. Before getting hurt in 2024, Aiyuk had two straight 1,000-yard seasons with the 49ers, but he remains a long shot to return to fantasy relevance in the second half of the 2026 season.