Aiyuk Progressing in Recovery from Major Injury
The San Francisco 49ers are not expected to have wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk available for training camp or the early part of the 2025 season as he recovers from a torn ACL and MCL suffered in October. However, signs remain positive that Aiyuk will play at some point this year.
General manager John Lynch provided an encouraging update during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday.
“Brandon’s doing a tremendous job coming back,” Lynch said. “These guys that are incredibly skilled athletes, they tend to heal a lot faster. It’s kind of incredible how well he’s healing, and he’s putting in the work. We’re proud of Brandon, and we’re looking forward to him being part of this team moving forward.”
Contract History and Injury Sparked Doubts
Aiyuk’s 2024 season got off to a rocky start after a difficult offseason of contract negotiations. He managed 25 catches for 374 yards and no touchdowns before his season was cut short just seven weeks in. The combination of offseason drama and his injury led to speculation that the 49ers might be growing disillusioned with the wideout. Lynch addressed that talk directly.
“Relationship’s good,” Lynch said. “Brandon’s been here. He had a tough injury. Everyone saw that play against Kansas City. It was crushing for us because Brandon’s such a big part of who we are. Looking back on the Brandon situation, I think every situation that you go through in life, in football, in this job, it’s a learning opportunity.”
“I look at things like that, like, what could we have done differently to have made that a little more seamless? Sometimes those things are tough, they can be contentious. There’s things that I learned that, yeah, would we have done some things differently? Brandon and I have had these conversations that, are there things he would have done differently? Absolutely.”
“But one thing, I think, in families, you have little spats, and then you give a big hug at the end, and you work together, and that’s where we’re at.”
A Long-Term Commitment to Aiyuk
Despite the challenges, the 49ers committed to Aiyuk with a four-year, $120 million extension last year. Lynch reaffirmed the team’s belief in the receiver and their cautious approach to his return.
“We made a big investment in him,” Lynch added. “We’re proud to have him part of our franchise and looking for big things from him. We’re gonna let him get right before we get him back on that field, but he’s an important part of this team.”
Uncertainty Remains About Aiyuk’s Return Timeline
As the season nears, the focus will shift to how many games Aiyuk may miss. He’s a candidate for the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list to start the year, and questions remain about how quickly he’ll regain form once he returns to the field.
