T
he San Francisco 49ers are rolling to start the 2025 season and are in the thick of the NFC playoff race. Sitting at 9-4 despite dealing with numerous injuries, the 49ers have a lot at stake for the rest of the regular season as they look to return to the postseason after a one year absence. It has been a difficult season health wise for the 49ers, but luckily, they have had a lot of players step up to help them stay afloat in a very competitive NFC.
But while the 49ers continue to find ways to win, it is getting increasingly more likely that one of their most prized players will miss the entire campaign. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk— who has been out since week 7 of last season with a torn ACL– is still going through the rehab process and is yet to have his practice window opened. And as the regular season approaches the final stretch, 49ers general manager John Lynch provided a concerning update on their star pass catcher.
Aiyuk’s Return this Season May Not be Realistic
When the season started, the hope was that Aiyuk would be able to return at some point during the season in order to provide a spark for the offense. No official target date was set, but the team hoped that Aiyuk’s return would happen around midseason. But the 49ers are now on a bye week, and there is still no indication as to whether or not Aiyuk will start practicing. But Lynch took to KNBR on Tuesday, Dec. 2 and gave an update on Aiyuk that essentially confirms the team’s biggest fear– Aiyuk’s ACL injury will force him to miss nearly two seasons of play.
“Realistic, I’m not sure,” Lynch said on KNBR. “Hopeful, yeah. I think that’s where I’d leave that . . . We’re a better football team when Brandon’s out there, but that’s probably what it is, hope right now.”
The update is very concerning not only because of the severity of the injury, but also for Aiyuk’s future with the 49ers. Earlier this year, the franchise voided all the remaining guarantees on the four-year, $120 million contract that he signed prior to the start of last season, meaning that the team could part ways with Aiyuk in the offseason if they deem it necessary. And while head coach Kyle Shanahan said the void of the guarantees does not mean he won’t be on the team next season, more likely than not Aiyuk’s next NFL game will be for a different team.
Aiyuk’s 49ers Career Thus Far
A first round pick by the 49ers in the 2020 NFL Draft, Aiyuk showed flashes of his elite potential early on, finishing his rookie season with 748 receiving yards and five touchdowns, proving to be a major bright spot on a 2020 49ers team that finished 6-10. The next season, Aiyuk finished with 826 yards, continuing his development from the previous season.
But 2022 is when Aiyuk really broke out, a season that saw the 49ers earn a spot in the NFC title game for the second straight year. Finishing with 1,015 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, Aiyuk proved himself to be the 49ers’ top receiver, setting himself up for a career year in 2023– one where he finished with 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season while catching a big pass in the NFC title game that helped the 49ers earn a spot in the Super Bowl. But after a rough start to the 2024 season that ended with his injury, Aiyuk’s future as an NFL star is in doubt.
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