The San Francisco 49ers were forced to endure the loss of multiple starting-level contributors for lengthy periods of time last season, but perhaps no injury sustained was more devastating than the ACL and MCL tears for WR Brandon Aiyuk.
This serious knee injury has one NFL Analyst expressing some concern about Aiyuk’s effectiveness once he returns to the lineup during the 2025 NFL season.
PFF Analyst Expresses Doubt for Brandon Aiyuk Returning to Top Form During the 2025 NFL Season
PFF NFL Analyst Nathan Jahnke recently expressed some real doubt about Aiyuk returning to his top-15 WR form when analyzing the former Arizona State Sun Devil’s outlook entering the 2025 NFL season.
Jahnke wrote, “Aiyuk should be able to return to his Pro Bowl form and be a top-15 fantasy wide receiver again at some point in his career. However, he’s returning from his ACL and MCL tears, and there is a decent chance Aiyuk won’t be at that level at least to begin this season. He might not reach there at any point this season.”
Is Brandon Aiyuk the Definitive WR1 on the 49ers Upon Return?
If Aiyuk does take a bit to return to full form once he returns to the active roster, then it does warrant considering what the pecking order is going to look like in San Francisco in 2025.
Jahnke added, “Aiyuk’s long-time teammate Deebo Samuel was traded to the Washington Commanders. Jauan Jennings stepped up in Aiyuk’s place when he was injured and will likely step into Samuel’s spot. Former first-round pick Ricky Pearsall stepped into the slot role last season once Jennings moved out wide. The 49ers added Demarcus Robinson in free agency, and Robinson will likely have Aiyuk’s role until he’s ready to play.”
Robinson is a veteran journeyman who should act as an insurance stop-gap for the organization should Aiyuk suffer any setbacks in the recovery process.
Jahnke continued, “The 49ers’ investment in Robinson likely means we could see a rotation at the X spot until they feel Aiyuk is 100%. The good news is that once Aiyuk is 100%, there will be a little less competition for targets. While Jennings has played well, he hasn’t played as well as Samuel during his peak. That means that if Aiyuk returns to full health, he should be able to return to his 2023 target rate.”
Returning to 2023 target rates would be step one, but Aiyuk was a highly efficient receiver with his looks that season — which could come with time as the veteran gets fully back up to speed coming back from injury.
Jahnke concluded, “Aiyuk is expected to return at some point this season, but it’s unlikely he will be the same player he was in 2023. Most wide receivers who just tore their ACL or an MCL experienced a drop in receiving yards per game the following year. Chris Godwin, after 2021, seems like the most normal case, averaging 78.8 yards per game before the injury and 68.2 after. Jeremy Maclin performed better after the injury than before, while others like Wes Welker and Courtland Sutton saw more substantial drops by 35-40% of their previous year’s yards per game.”
Ultimately, recovering from major knee injuries has given star players a wide range of outcomes regarding their production the year following the injury.
Aiyuk could come back to play the entire season and pick up right where he left off in 2023, or he could take some time to return to form.
Fortunately, the Niners have some depth at wide receiver with Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall to help stabilize the position for Brock Purdy under center if Aiyuk isn’t a full go to start the 2025 NFL season.
