Five key players to watch as 49ers return from bye to face Raiders in Week 9

There has been nothing easy and simple for the 49ers about the Brandon Aiyuk situation. And it might not be as straightforward as Aiyuk showing up in Santa Clara to be reinstated off the NFL’s reserve/left squad list, which would all but force the 49ers to release the wide receiver. Aiyuk owes the 49ers a lot of money, as NBC Sports Bay Area suggested in June. As part of the four-year, $120 million contract extension he signed in 2024, Aiyuk received a $23 million signing bonus. Because of his failure to live up to terms of the contract, the 49ers have the right to seek repayment of a percentage of the signing bonus. Aiyuk owes the 49ers roughly $13 million in bonus forfeiture, Tom Pelissero of The Ringer reported Thursday. That issue could complicate Aiyuk’s attempt to force the 49ers to release him, according to the report. The NFL Management Council and the NFL Players Association are working to find a resolution in the dispute, Pelissero reported. The sides could