It’s been more than two years since Brandon Aiyuk last played in an NFL game. A serious knee injury in 2024 forced him to miss the remainder of the season. But off-field issues and disagreements with the San Francisco 49ers kept him away from football entirely in 2025.

Now, rumors are growing louder about the veteran wide receiver’s plans to return to the NFL. However, several reporters covering the league don’t believe the story deserves the amount of attention it’s getting.

NFL Reporters Push Back on Brandon Aiyuk’s Growing Media Attention

In his last full season in 2023, Aiyuk recorded 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. His performance ranked him No. 6 among wide receivers with a PFN WR Impact Score of 86.8. It also helped him secure a four-year, $120 million contract extension after a lengthy and tense negotiation with the 49ers.

But after suffering the injury the following season, Aiyuk stopped reporting to the team’s facility and communicating with coaches and staff. As a result, he was placed on the reserve/left squad list in December 2025.

Now, with Drew Rosenhaus recently hired as his agent, Aiyuk seems to be taking steps toward an NFL return. But the media attention surrounding those efforts may have gone too far this week. KPIX, CBS News Bay Area, sent a helicopter to follow Aiyuk and Rosenhaus.

NFL insider James Palmer wasn’t impressed with the spectacle.

“Is it just me, or is this a complete waste of time for the pilot and fuel?” Palmer questioned.

Tony Farmer was also stunned by how far the coverage has gone, asking, “Is this real life?”

Lindsey Ok had a similar reaction, writing, “What are we doing?”

Kylen Mills was just as critical, writing, “KPIX using time and resources to fly a helicopter over Brandon Aiyuk and his agent getting coffee at Starbucks is completely insane.”

She also questioned why the situation was getting so much attention, adding, “He’s a wide receiver who didn’t want to show up to work. Like, what is this coverage?”

“You know hysteria over the NFL is out of control when they send the news chopper to cover a player handling a procedural matter,” Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated piled on.

It remains to be seen how this situation plays out. For now, Aiyuk remains on the 49ers’ reserve/left squad list, and his chances of returning to the team appear slim. Both John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have made their stance on the situation clear.

“It’s been over for our football team for a long time,” Shanahan said. “I don’t hear much except questions about it today. But it’s not too big of a deal for me to answer.”

Meanwhile, Lynch said, “My job is to look out for the best interests of the 49ers, and as such, in this particular situation, we’re working with the NFL management council to navigate through kind of a different situation… It’s fluid. I’m going to kind of leave it at that because I’ve been recommended to do so, and I think it’s the right thing to do. We’ll look for a pathway for both sides here that works.”

Aiyuk has already submitted the paperwork required for reinstatement. The NFL is now processing his request as the 49ers work to resolve his contractual situation.