For the first time this season, the San Francisco 49ers are finally enjoying a moment of calm on the injury front. No players were hurt after the Week 10 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, and both Brock Purdy and Ricky Pearsall are on track to return to the field this week.
However, one name remains a difficult subject for the franchise. Brandon Aiyuk has still not recovered from the three-ligament tear he suffered in his knee, and general manager John Lynch addressed whether the team expects Aiyuk to return this year or if he will only be fully healthy in 2026.
Brandon Aiyuk Is Still In 49ers Plans for 2025, Says John Lynch
Returning from a triple-ligament knee tear, with at least the ACL and MCL confirmed, is difficult even for the most dedicated professional athlete. In severe cases, recovery can take up to 18 months, and Aiyuk appears to fall into a category that requires caution.
The wide receiver has largely disappeared from the spotlight, and updates on his recovery have been repetitive. In his Monday press conferences, head coach Kyle Shanahan continues to announce that the team will not open Aiyuk’s practice window and that they are still evaluating him. But Lynch confirmed that the plan is still to have him on the field this season.
“The intention is to get Brandon back. We’re not there yet. But we’ll continue to have him excel at his rehab. And we just gotta get him to a place where we’re comfortable opening that window, and see if he can make it back on the field. That is the intention, to get him back on the field. But we’ll see. No absolutes there. Just take it as it comes there.”
The GM was asked about the possibility of Aiyuk being redshirted in 2025, but he quickly shut that down, even though he didn’t guarantee that the receiver would play this year, echoing Shanahan’s earlier comments about the possibility that Aiyuk may not see the field this season.
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Everything feels ambiguous when it comes to Aiyuk. The 49ers want him back, but every new update is essentially the same weekly report, offering no true progress. Whether he returns in two weeks, three weeks, or six weeks remains unknown.
The reality is that the 49ers’ offense could use Aiyuk’s presence again. The team has only three touchdowns from wide receivers this season, all by Jauan Jennings, and has lost its vertical element. When healthy, Aiyuk has a locked-in role in this offense, at least heading into 2025.
