Brandon Aiyuk Week 1 Return Unlikely According To 49ers GM

San Francisco 49ers GM John Lynch hasn’t completely ruled out a Week 1 return for Wide Receiver Brandon Aiyuk, although the likelihood of the wide receiver suiting up isn’t looking very likely. Lynch told the media, “Brandon is doing very well in his rehab. Do we have an exact date for his return right now? No. I don’t think it will be Week one, but hopefully I’ll be surprised.” Translating the quote, Lynch would be very surprised if Aiyuk suited up, but he’s not completely ruling it out at this point.

The 49ers Should Wait It Out With Brandon Aiyuk

Let’s make this very clear. Likely, Aiyuk will not suit up for Week 1. He’s recovering from a torn ACL and MCL injury that he suffered in Week 7 of the 2024 season. What’s the point of rushing him back? Brandon Aiyuk is a core piece of the San Francisco 49ers offense, along with Jauan Jennings, whose availability is also in question to start the season.

What’s been the Achilles heel of the 49ers? It has been their inability to keep their star players healthy. They aren’t going to let that happen again. Not with this team. The expectations in San Francisco are too high to have another losing season.

What Could Help the 49ers Out

There are many things that could help the 49ers get back to the playoffs. Of course, Brandon Aiyuk’s health is one. Another factor is that they brought in Robert Saleh to be their defensive coordinator, a position he held in 2019 when the 49ers went to the Super Bowl. The hope is that Saleh can come in and help the 49ers get back to tasting the sweet playoff success they had for a few years. However, to attain that, everyone needs to be patient. Good things come to those who wait.