What happened to Brandon Aiyuk? Examining Why 49ers’ Star WR Remains Sidelined

The 2024 season has been a tough one for Brandon Aiyuk. After an explosive 2023 campaign, he sought an extension with the San Francisco 49ers, resulting in a longer negotiating period. Furthermore, talks of potential trades also began to circulate before San Francisco agreed and gave him a four-year extension worth $120 million.

Since then, the year has been far from what the team or Aiyuk expected. After arguably the best year of his short career, he has followed it up with arguably the worst. That was before he was sidelined, which further messed things up.

Why is Brandon Aiyuk sidelined?

A Super Bowl rematch was a chance for the 49ers to get things back on track for the season. But not only did they lose once again to the Kansas City Chiefs, but they also lost Aiyuk in the game.

A back and forth contest saw QB Brock Purdy target him in the second quarter. Unfortunately, a hard tackle from both sides saw Aiyuk sandwiched between two Chiefs players and he was immediately on the ground. Replays showed his leg bent out of shape and medical staff had to rush to help him. He eventually made it to the touchline before being carted off to the dressing room.

Although it was clear the damage was nothing to scoff at, the true extent of the damage came to light later. Eventually, news broke that Aiyuk had torn both his ACL and MCL simultaneously.

How long will Aiyuk be out?

Aiyuk was immediately placed on the injured reserve list, ending his season. However, the timeline for his eventual return is still in flux.

With multiple ligament injuries and the time in week 7, a specific date is difficult to state. Usually, in the case of a single season-ending injury, next season is a safe bet for a starting point. But given the extent and brutality of his injury, a 2025 season opener could be in jeopardy.

The WR is likely to miss OTAs, training camp and even preseason work. His exact integration back into the offense could be a pipe dream for the early parts of next season. However, there is still doubt about an exact timeline.

Fortunately, the long negotiation period had fruitful results for Aiyuk. Given the nature of the sport, a season-ending and life-changing injury is never too far away. With his contract extension, he is set to stay with the team until 2028. As a result, he will have time to return and re-establish himself as a premier wide receiver in the league.

Who steps up in Aiyuk’s absence?

Since his injury, the obvious burden was on WR Deebo Samuel Jr. and TE George Kittle. But as Samuel has had one of the worst seasons of his career, Jauan Jennings has shouldered a large portion of the responsibility instead.

First bursting onto the scene with a TD in the Super Bowl, Jennings has quickly become a consistent and reliable part of the San Francisco offense. On the season, he has 856 yards on just 63 receptions while also adding six TDs.

Samuel, on the other hand, only has 665 yards on the year, which is a far cry from his All-Pro numbers. Although Kittle operates as a tight end, he is having one of the best seasons of his already stellar career. In just 13 games, he’s already good for 967 yards.

Depending on his performance and availability over the final two games of the year, he could finish with his best numbers since 2018. While they are out of the playoff race, Jennings’ emergence and Kittle’s continued excellence give the 49ers something to write home about.