San Francisco

49ers

Aiyuk and Rosenhaus met with the 49ers’ “big bosses” today to discuss an amicable solution to their multi-year conflict. Aiyuk seeks reinstatement, but under league rules, he owes the 49ers roughly $13 million in bonus forfeiture. The two sides met today, but evidently, things were not resolved. The saga continues. Stay tuned.

At this point, Kirk probably does not need to be rostered in 12-team leagues. He returned from his lengthy calf injury only to injure his knee. It’s a tough break for the veteran wide receiver.

If Robinson can make his return from injured reserve with Mike Evans (Achilles), Deebo Samuel (hamstring) and Christian Kirk (knee) sidelined, Robinson could end up returning WR3 value against the Raiders this week. Wide receiver-needy fantasy managers should add him now.

Samuel, Mike Evans (Achilles) and Christian Kirk (knee) are all sidelined, potentially leaving Demarcus Robinson (ankle) as a featured receiver if he can play. Samuel can continue to be stashed on benches in 12-team leagues, though his return timeline remains somewhat opaque.

Evans is dealing with tendinitis in his Achilles tendon that initially cropped up in Week 6. When speaking with the media earlier this week, general manager John Lynch said the team hopes to get Evans back in the “coming weeks,” which means he should tentatively be considered questionable to play in Week 10 against the Cowboys.

Bosa strained his calf while going through his pre-practice warm-up routine before Week 3’s Thursday practice, and has not played since. He has also dealt with knee tendinitis. Bosa is finally cleared to return following the 49ers’ Week 8 bye.

McCaffrey injured his hamstring in Week 7. The 49ers were on bye in Week 8, giving him extra time to rest. McCaffrey then sat out on Wednesday before practicing in a limited capacity on Thursday. He should be in fantasy football lineups this week, facing a soft Raiders run defense, but Kaelon Black could mix in for 8-10 touches, potentially warranting FLEX consideration.

Downs’ 2026 season has fallen short of expectations, but perhaps he has a chance to rebound. Breer believes acquiring Downs would “probably” cost a fourth-round pick. He is “one of a number of receivers on the market” at the moment, with the Chiefs and Steelers among the teams looking for help at the position. Breer adds that the 49ers are “open” to adding a wide receiver as well, but with their positional health improving, San Francisco is “less desperate than they were a couple of weeks ago.” The Steelers’ wide receiver corps might be too muddled for Downs to meaningfully increase his productivity, but landing in Kansas City or San Francisco would likely be good for him.

Breer and NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe put out similar reports today, indicating that the Jaguars are now hesitant to trade away Thomas. Per Breer, Thomas is not the best fit for coach Liam Coen’s scheme, but he “brings a downfield element that’s really important in keeping defenses honest against the run, and opening things up underneath for Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington.” Wolfe echoed Breer’s downfield sentiment and added that when the Jaguars traded away Tyson Campbell last year, it had a negative impact on the locker room — and Jaguars brass has “learned from it.” Thomas and Travis Hunter are reportedly close friends, and Thomas is liked in the locker room. It sounds like the formerly productive wide receiver might be staying put. Breer lists the Chiefs and Steelers, and the 49ers to a lesser degree, as the teams known to be seeking wide receiver help.

Pelissero calls this a “potential complication in [Aiyuk’s] efforts to secure his release by reporting to the facility Friday.” While it’s possible both sides reach a deal for Aiyuk to pay back that money, which would make this a non-issue, Pelissero said this could also end up going to arbitration, which may delay things. Aiyuk is scheduled to report to the 49ers’ facilities today, so we could have our answer in the next few hours about when this situation is resolved and Aiyuk has been granted his release. Aiyuk recently hired Drew Rosenhaus with the hopes of being reinstated into the league and with a new team soon. The 28-year-old last played in 2024.