The regular season isn’t getting any younger, but for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, a return to the field still doesn’t seem close. Even as the team piles up wins, the question of when their star receiver will rejoin the offense looms large.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan provided a minor update on Monday, but it offered little indication that Aiyuk’s comeback is imminent.
When Can the 49ers Expect Brandon Aiyuk to Practice?
It has been a long road back for Aiyuk after the devastating knee injury he sustained in the 2024-25 season. The 27-year-old, who tore both his anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament, is now 13 months removed from the injury, yet the 49ers are still not prepared to open his practice window. This situation highlights that not all recoveries follow the same timeline.
Kyle Shanahan says that Jacob Cowing’s practice window won’t open until “after the bye week”, but leaves open the possibility of Brandon Aiyuk’s practice window opening before then
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) November 17, 2025
According to David Lombardi, Shanahan left the door open for Aiyuk to potentially practice before the team’s Week 14 bye, but he offered no guarantees. The coach was more definitive about Jacob Cowing, last year’s fourth-round receiver, who has been on injured reserve all season with a hamstring injury from training camp.
The expectation for Cowing is a return to practice after the bye week. Before that much-needed break, the 49ers, fresh off an impressive divisional victory against the Arizona Cardinals, must face the Carolina Panthers and the Cleveland Browns.
Once Aiyuk is cleared to practice, a 21-day window opens for the 49ers to activate him to the 53-man roster. If he isn’t deemed ready for game action by the end of that period, the team would have to move him to season-ending injured reserve.
How Have the 49ers Survived Without Their Top Receivers?
Injuries have completely ravaged the 49ers’ receiving corps, a situation made more challenging after the team traded away Deebo Samuel in the offseason. Beyond Aiyuk and Cowing, Jauan Jennings has missed two games, and Ricky Pearsall only just returned this past weekend after a six-game absence with a knee injury.
The depleted depth chart forced the team to look for outside help, leading to a reunion with a familiar face. San Francisco signed Kendrick Bourne in September, bringing him back to the organization where he spent the first four years of his career. In 10 games, he has become the team’s most productive wideout with 31 receptions for 482 yards, although he has yet to score a touchdown. The actual engine of the offense has been Christian McCaffrey, who has been unstoppable with 1,439 yards from scrimmage and 11 total touchdowns.
Remarkably, the 49ers also navigated most of the season without their starting quarterback, Brock Purdy. In his place, Shanahan turned to Mac Jones, who guided the team to a respectable 5-3 record. Purdy returned from a toe injury on Sunday and immediately made his presence felt, completing 19 of his 26 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns.
While the 49ers have managed to stay in the playoff hunt, Aiyuk’s return would provide a massive boost. His presence would significantly build upon their 83.0 PFSN Offense Impact score, which already ranks eighth in the league.
