As the 49ers head into Week 11's matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, there have been no indicators that receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who's been sidelined for more than a year after tearing his ACL and MCL in October 2024, is close to returning. Despite that, general manager John Lynch says the team still believes it will happen this year.
During an interview on KNBR on Thursday, the topic of Aiyuk missing the entire 2025 season was brought up. Lynch made it clear that the goal is still for Aiyuk to return to action this season.
"The intention is to get Brandon back," Lynch said in his interview, H/T Kyle Posey, Niners Nation. "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."
After lengthy negotiations, Aiyuk signed a contract extension with the 49ers shortly before the 2024 season got underway. The season was generally a struggle for both Aiyuk and his team. The receiver suffered the season-ending ACL and MCL tears in Week 7. To that point, he had 25 receptions for 374 yards with no touchdowns. That was a far cry from his previous two years.
Aiyuk caught 78 passes for 1,015 yards with eight touchdowns in 2022. In 2023, he caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards with seven touchdowns and was named Second-team All-Pro.
Despite suffering injuries to several key players, the 49ers remain in postseason contention in the NFC. They head into Week 11's matchup against the Arizona Cardinals at 6-4, just behind the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, who hold the NFC's final two Wild Card spots.
With defensive stars Fred Warner and Nick Bosa out for the season, the San Francisco 49ers will go as far as their offense can take them in 2025. Getting Aiyuk back would certainly help that cause, especially if he's able to show the form he had in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.