49ers Fans Are Asking the Same Question—When Will Brandon Aiyuk Finally Return to the Field?
Brandon Aiyuk isn’t coming to save the San Francisco 49ers – at least, not anytime soon.
Through only four weeks, the 49ers’ passing offense has already been completely ravaged by injuries during the 2024 season. In Week 5’s “Thursday Night Football” meeting with the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco will be without quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle and wide receivers Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall.
Aiyuk will also be absent from the 49ers’ starting offense, as he has been all year. The sixth-year receiver has yet to make his 2025 debut after he tore his ACL and MCL in a Week 7 game last year.
1 / 29
Every NFL team’s all-time leading receiver, ranked by total yardage (through 2024 season)
San Francisco 49ers — Jerry Rice, 1985-2000, 19,247 yards
The latest update on Aiyuk’s status offered no hope for the 49ers or their fans. The veteran receiver, whom the 49ers signed to a four-year extension before last season, is still working through his recovery process.
Here’s the latest news on Aiyuk’s playing status:
49ERS INJURIES: QB Brock Purdy ruled out ahead of ‘Thursday Night Football’
When will Brandon Aiyuk return?
The only thing that’s clear about Aiyuk’s looming return is that it isn’t coming soon.
San Francisco general manager John Lynch told KNBR last Thursday that Aiyuk was still far from making his 2025 debut.
“We’ll be a better team when Brandon’s out there so we look forward to that day but it’s not close,” Lynch said. “He’s got to continue to hit markers but he is tracking well. He’s working hard.”
In the meantime, and with Kittle also out with a hamstring injury, running back Christian McCaffrey has been the 49ers’ leader in targets. Pearsall, then Jennings, trail McCaffrey in target share, but both receivers have been ruled out for Thursday with injuries of their own.
BRANDON AIYUK: 49ers GM John Lynch says WR ‘not close’ to returning from injury
49ers WR depth chart
- Brandon Aiyuk (PUP – knee)
- Jauan Jennings (out – ankle, ribs)
- Ricky Pearsall (out – knee)
- Kendrick Bourne
- Demarcus Robinson
- Skyy Moore
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling
- Jordan Watkins (out – calf)
- Trent Taylor (season-ending IR – undisclosed)
- Jacob Cowing (IR – hamstring)
Of the 49ers’ nine signed wide receivers, five of them are currently injured – including three players on either injured reserve (IR) or the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. That leaves San Francisco with four wide receiver options for Thursday’s game: Bourne, Robinson, Moore and Valdes-Scantling.
Bourne, whom the 49ers originally signed as an undrafted free agent in 2017, re-joined his former team on a one-year deal after a four-year stint with the Patriots. Robinson, Moore and Valdes-Scantling were all total newcomers to the 49ers’ roster in 2025.
Of the four healthy players, only Bourne (13) has more than two targets this year. The three other newcomers are all tied at the bottom of 49ers pass-catchers with two targets apiece.
