Aiyuk's Friday report comes with a $13 million problem for the 49ers

Brandon Aiyuk can show up in Santa Clara on Friday. Getting cut loose looks a lot harder than filing the paperwork.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that Aiyuk owes the 49ers roughly $13 million in bonus forfeiture, enough to complicate the release plan built around reporting to the facility. Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area went further: a clean split Friday seems unlikely because San Francisco can claw back a large piece of the $23 million signing bonus from the 2024 extension.

Drew Rosenhaus told Adam Schefter the meeting is still on for 3 p.m. at the facility. "We will put our best foot forward and go from there." Pelissero said the Management Council and the NFLPA are both in the middle of it.

This is the next chapter after Aiyuk's reinstatement filing earlier in the week. The 49ers have made clear they do not plan to play him again. Aiyuk and Rosenhaus are treating Friday as the way to force a trade or release. The bonus math is the club's leverage. Until someone blinks on that $13 million, Friday may be a photo opportunity more than an exit.