Brandon Aiyuk injury update: 49ers GM John Lynch drops concerning news about star WR's return

Many can argue that Brandon Aiyuk has been one of the brightest highlights and darkest stains on the San Francisco 49ers general manager. A strong start to his career has taken a turn, and the light at the end of the tunnel just got a bit dimmer.

Aiyuk has been battling multiple knee injuries, including an ACL tear. Some believed he might be ready for most of the regular season. According to Lynch, this will not be the case as there's still a long road ahead for Aiyuk. Speaking to KNBR via Ari Meirov in a Sept. 25 update, the wide receiver is still deep in his recovery.

"#49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk is 'not close' to returning, per GM John Lynch on @KNBR. There hasn’t been a setback, but Aiyuk’s ACL tear was not clean and included other damage — leading to a longer timeline for his return."

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Aiyuk had steadily improved his production year over year from 2020 to 2023. However, since starting his new contract in 2024, his production has nosedived. Even before the injury occurred in 2024, 49ers fans and analysts were unhappy with his under 400 yards in seven games of action.

His redemption attempt will have to wait as the receiver continues to battle the injury.

Brandon Aiyuk one of several notable injuries plaguing 49ers

Brandon Aiyuk at Kansas City Chiefs v San Francisco 49ers - Source: Getty

The San Francisco 49ers' depth chart is starting to look like a scroll with the number of injuries plaguing the offense at some of the most important positions. George Kittle remains on IR as he battles a hamstring injury. CBS Sports has listed the tight end with an expected return date in Week 6.

In addition to Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall have emerged with questionable tags, but they might not be the biggest situation facing the team.

Both Brock Purdy and Mac Jones are listed as questionable heading into Week 4. Third-string backup Kurtis Rourke is already listed as out, so the 49ers could theoretically end up with a situation similar to the NFC Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2022-23 season when they had no quarterback.

Of course, two questionable players tend to equal one starter in the NFL, so the 49ers likely won't be left with a disaster against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 28.

Will Brandon Aiyuk's 49ers find a way to survive their injury woes?

About the author

Ian brings with him more than 6.5 years of sports writing experience to the Sportskeeda NFL team. He played offensive line in middle school and high school, and also made it to the top 0% matchmaking ranking in MUT play in Madden.

He possesses the quality of identifying unique story angles from quotes in press conferences, social media and interviews. He assimilates facts for his stories with a lawyer-like precision and verifies each and every piece of information.

Ian admires Peyton Manning for his ability to beat teams with his mind despite not being the best athlete, and is also a fan of Tom Brady. The Denver Broncos are his favorite team, and their Super Bowl 50 win in Manning’s last game is etched in his memory forever. Bill Belichick is his all-time favorite coach.

He has also grown to admire the Los Angeles Rams mainly because he and Cooper Kupp went to the same college, Eastern Washington University, with both finishing their college careers at the same time.

In his career so far, Ian has had the privilege of exclusively interviewing Los Angeles Rams General Manager Les Snead, Kwity Paye of the Indianpolis Colts and Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jamari Thrash. When not writing, he likes to play video games and be outdoors.

Know More

49ers Fans! Check out the latest San Francisco 49ers Schedule and dive into the 49ers Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Ian Van Roy