Brandon Aiyuk running with the ball.
After an offseason of trade rumors a year ago, and plenty of other drama, it was a possibility that the San Francisco 49ers could have looked to move on from Brandon Aiyuk. Instead, the team decided to pay its star wide receiver, a decision that made sense.
The 49ers are well-positioned to win a Super Bowl over the next few years, and having Aiyuk on the roster, when healthy and playing at his best, brings them closer to that goal.
49ers Provide Brandon Aiyuk Injury Update
However, unfortunately for Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers, he suffered a torn ACL and MCL last October, which kept him out for the rest of the season.
As he looks to return from this injury at some point during the 2020-2021 season, the 49ers must allow him to recover fully, as they saw last year that they aren’t the same type of team with him on the field.
The 49ers dealt with other injuries, but losing Aiyuk wasn’t easy.
When speaking on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Thursday about the situation, general manager John Lynch had some very positive things to say. Lynch admitted that Aiyuk is doing a great job with his recovery and that it’s remarkable to see how well he’s healed.
“Brandon’s doing a tremendous job coming back,” Lynch said. “These guys that are incredibly skilled athletes, they tend to heal a lot faster. It’s kind of incredible how well he’s healing, and he’s putting in the work. We’re proud of Brandon, and we’re looking forward to him being part of this team moving forward.”
49ers Look for Bounce Back Year From Brandon Aiyuk
Lynch also spoke about the San Francisco 49ers drama last year with the star wide receiver.
He only had 25 catches for 374 yards and zero touchdowns in seven games, and some were concerned that it could’ve been due to the contract drama.
However, according to the 49ers’ general manager, the relationship is in a good spot right now, and the team is just trying to get his mind right after the gruesome injury against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“Relationship’s good,” Lynch said. “Brandon’s been here. He had a tough injury. Everyone saw that play against Kansas City. It was crushing for us because Brandon’s such a big part of who we are. Looking back on the Brandon situation, I think every situation that you go through in life, in football, in this job, it’s a learning opportunity. I look at things like that, like, what could we have done differently to have made that a little more seamless?
“Sometimes those things are tough; they can be contentious. There’s things that I learned that, yeah, would we have done some things differently? Brandon and I have had these conversations that — are there things he would have done differently? Absolutely. But one thing, I think, in families, you have little spats, and then you give a big hug at the end, and you work together, and that’s where we’re at.”
As long as Aiyuk can get on the field at some point during the 2025-26 campaign and looks healthy, the San Francisco 49ers should feel confident in what could come for them next year.
