Brandon Aiyuk DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on the Pat McAfee Show this week that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is making great progress in his rehab from a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee that he suffered last October. "Brandon is doing a tremendous job coming back. It's kind of incredible how well he's healing, and he's putting in the work," Lynch said. Lynch continued to stress that Aiyuk is still an important part of the team going forward, although he's probably not going to be able to make his 2025 debut until around midseason. After a contract dispute last summer, the 27-year-old caught just 25 passes for 374 yards and no touchdowns before his season-ending knee injury seven games into the season. When he returns, he'll battle for targets with George Kittle, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall. There are a lot of question marks surrounding Aiyuk going into 2025.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is likely to be placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list for training camp in late July as he continues his recovery from his ACL surgery, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. Aiyuk also injured his MCL in Week 7 and missed the rest of the 2024 campaign. After holding out in training camp last year, the 27-year-old was a major disappointment for fantasy managers before his injury, as he caught just 25 of 47 targets for 374 yards and no touchdowns a year after posting a career-high 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 16 regular-season games. The 27-year-old former first-rounder isn't expected to be ready in 2025 until around midseason, so it's not much of a surprise that he'll land on the PUP for camp. With Aiyuk out, Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) and Demarcus Robinson are expected to start in three-wide sets.

There is still no official timeline for San Francisco 49ers Brandon Aiyuk's (knee) return in 2025, but general manager John Lynch expressed some optimism regarding his recovery from a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee that he suffered last October. "Brandon's tracking in a good way with his knee, and you've just got to kind of let that play out," Lynch said. "We're not going to put him out there until he's ready, but we're excited with our receiver group and where we're at." Aiyuk will most likely not be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season, but if he continues to make strides in his rehab, he could return sooner than later. Regardless, the 27-year-old's fantasy stock has taken a big hit after he caught just 25 passes for 374 yards and no touchdowns in seven games before his season-ending injury last year. Until Aiyuk is able to return, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) will be the team's top wideouts.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the San Francisco 49ers are not expected to trade wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee). The sixth-year pro will be due a bonus of $22.85 million on Tuesday if he is on the team's roster. Aiyuk exploded in 2023 with a 75-1,342-7 line and signed a four-year $120 million contract extension as a reward. However, a torn ACL and MCL in Week 7 of 2024 cut his season short, though it's worth noting he wasn't overly productive before the injury. The 49ers have already flipped one star wideout this offseason, sending Deebo Samuel Sr. to the Washington Commanders, so it is in the team's best interest to hold Aiyuk despite the hit to their cap. There is still no timetable for the 27-year-old's return, but he recently got good reviews regarding his recovery. He'll compete with teammates George Kittle and Jauan Jennings for targets when he's healthy.

The San Francisco 49ers owe wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) a $22.85 million bonus if he's on their roster on April 1, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Once the 49ers pay that bonus, any potential trade talks this offseason for Aiyuk would be off and he'd be expected to spend the 2025 season with the Niners. Schefter reports that no trade is expected by then for Aiyuk, who is expected to miss around half of the season after tearing his ACL and MCL in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024. That will obviously be a huge hit to the 27-year-old's fantasy value for the 2025 season, especially after he was a big disappointment for his managers right before his season-ending knee injury. We will keep a close eye on Aiyuk's rehab this offseason, but as of right now, he won't be ready for training camp and will be a long shot to be ready for Week 1 this fall.