The San Francisco 49ers’ offense continues to struggle with injuries, and Brandon Aiyuk’s recovery window is appearing longer than initially thought. At first, it looked like the wide receiver would start his training in Week 9 and take two to three weeks to fully return to starting duties. He was expected to see some action as early as Week 10.
However, that’s not the case now, with head coach Kyle Shanahan confirming this week that Aiyuk’s recovery window won’t be activated in Week 9, which means he won’t be available in Week 9 and 10.
Brandon Aiyuk’s practice window will NOT be opened this week, per Kyle Shanahan
He said he “would’ve been surprised” if Aiyuk returned to practice this week, but he’s “getting closer to having a chance. Just not this week.” pic.twitter.com/WWWSyH37xS
— Sleeper49ers (@SleeperSF49ers) October 27, 2025
What Happened to Brandon Aiyuk?
Aiyuk has been off the field since suffering a season-ending injury in October 2024, when he tore his ACL and MCL, forcing him to undergo surgery and undertake a lengthy recovery process. The injury had occurred during Week 7’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Is Brandon Aiyuk Playing Week 9?
He isn’t. Initially, the expectation was that Brandon Aiyuk could return for Week 10 of the 2025 season, but this week, coach Shanahan confirmed they haven’t yet activated the wide receiver’s recovery window of three weeks (the weeks of recovery in which he’s allowed to participate in practice before he takes up a roster spot).
This means that, at the earliest, Aiyuk could return in Week 11.
Brandon Aiyuk Fantasy Outlook
It might be better to consider trading him if you find someone interested in a player recovering from a torn ACL and MCL. He won’t be available for the next two weeks, and it could even be longer before he returns. We are quickly hitting the point of diminishing returns with him.
For those who want to trade for him, we would recommend you check on his status next week to see if he starts his recovery window. You could get him if you’re able to give up very little value for him. However, there’s still the risk of how he will perform after such a lengthy recovery process. Stay away if you can.
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