The 2024 season has been a rough year for Brandon Aiyuk. After an explosive 2023 campaign, he was looking for an extension with the San Francisco 49ers, which resulted in a lengthy negotiation period. Moreover, conversations about potential trades also started making the rounds before San Francisco acquiesced and gave him a four-year extension worth $120 million.
Since then, the year has been far from what the team or Aiyuk were anticipating. After arguably the best year of his short career, he has followed it up with arguably the worst one. That was before he was sidelined, further messing up matters.
Why Is Brandon Aiyuk Sidelined?
A Super Bowl rematch was a chance for the 49ers to get things back on track for the season. However, not only did they lose yet 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 get sandwiched between two Chiefs players, and he was immediately on the ground. Replays showed his leg bending out of shape, and medical staff had to rush to his aid. Eventually, he came out to the sideline before being carted off to the locker room.
While it was clear that the injury was nothing to scoff at, the true extent of the damage came out later. Eventually, news came out 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. The timeline for his eventual return, though, remains in flux.
With multiple ligament injuries and the timing in Week 7, a specific date is hard to specify. Usually, in the case of a singular 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 might be in jeopardy.
It is likely that the WR misses out on OTAs, training camps, and even preseason work. His exact integration back into the offense might be a dream for the early parts of next season. However, an exact timeline remains in doubt.
Thankfully, the lengthy negotiation period had fruitful results for Aiyuk. Given the nature of the sport, a season-ending and life-altering injury is never too far away. With his contract extension, he is set to remain with the team until 2028. As a result, he will have the time to bounce back and re-establish himself as a premier wide receiver in the league.
Who’s Stepping Up in Aiyuk’s Absence?
Since his injury, the obvious onus was set on WR Deebo Samuel Jr. and TE George Kittle. But with Samuel having one of the worst seasons of his career, Jauan Jennings has instead taken up a large portion of the responsibility.
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 attack. On the season, he has 856 yards on just 63 receptions, while adding six TDs as well.
Samuel, on the other hand, has just 665 yards in the year, which is a far cry from his All-Pro numbers. Even though operating as a tight end, Kittle is having one of the best seasons of his already splendid career. In just 13 games, he is already good for 967 yards.
Depending on his performance and availability over the final two games of the year, he might finish with his best numbers since 2018. While they are out of the playoff race, the emergence of Jennings and the continued excellence of Kittle give the 49ers something to write home about.