Brandon Aiyuk is officially back in the NFL. Whether he is back with the San Francisco 49ers for long is another matter.

The league reinstated Aiyuk on Monday after he reported for a physical, according to the NFL's transaction wire. The 49ers also received a two-game roster exemption, which runs through their Week 11 game against the Minnesota Vikings in Mexico City and expires Nov. 23.

Coach Kyle Shanahan was blunt. "It means absolutely nothing to our team" he said. "I think we got two-week roster exemption and that's all administrative stuff to me."

The road back

Aiyuk had been on San Francisco's reserve/left squad list since December. He tore the ACL, MCL and meniscus in his right knee on Oct. 20, 2024. In recent weeks he hired agent Drew Rosenhaus and filed his reinstatement paperwork in late October.

Aiyuk and Rosenhaus met with the team at its business offices on Friday for about 75 minutes. On the way in Aiyuk told reporters: "I'm feeling great, feeling healthy. It was a long recovery process, a long rehab process, but I'm back to 100% and looking to get reinstated to the National Football League."

Three options for San Francisco

The 49ers can release Aiyuk, which has long looked like the most likely outcome. They could trade him, their preferred route, though they have not found a partner and Tuesday's deadline is 3 p.m. Central. Or they could put him on the 53-man roster, an idea Shanahan has all but ruled out.

"It's been over for our football team for a long time" Shanahan said Friday. San Francisco is 7-1 and visits the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.