One key player that the San Francisco 49ers are still missing is wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Aiyuk suffered a season-ending injury early on during the 2024 season, and it’s carried over into the 2025 season.
Prior to his injury, Aiyuk signed a four-year $120 million contract extension after requesting a trade from the team. This came after he posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2023 and 2023, looking for a big payday.
The 49ers placed Aiyuk on injured reserve to begin the 2025 season.
What Happened to Brandon Aiyuk?
Brandon Aiyuk suffered a season-ending injury against the Kansas City Chiefs on October 20, 2024, when he suffered an ACL and MCL tear. He remained sidelined for the remainder of the season and has not played a down this season due to the injury.
In the seven games he played prior to his season-ending injury, Aiyuk had 25 receptions for 374 yards.
Is Brandon Aiyuk Playing in Week 6?
No, Brandon Aiyuk is not playing this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. According to multiple reports, Aiyuk is “weeks away” from returning to the field.
Aiyuk’s recovery isn’t going as fast as the team thought, or there may have been a setback in his injury, as General Manager John Lynch said in the preseason that they’d have him on the field by Week 6.
Rap: George Kittle (hamstring), Jauan Jennings (ankle, ribs), Ricky Pearsall (knee) could return Week 6.
Brandon Aiyuk remains “weeks away” from returning.
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 2, 2025
Brandon Aiyuk Fantasy Outlook
There’s no doubt that once he is healthy, Brandon Aiyuk is the No. 1 receiver on the San Francisco 49ers. There’s a reason they paid him and traded Deebo Samuel.
However, Aiyuk’s fantasy football outlook isn’t looking good for the season. He will miss at least a few more games, which is looking like he will miss at minimum, around half of the season. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him become a free agent on waiver wires if he already isn’t.
However, with a career average of 14.6 yards a catch, he could become a viable option once he is healthy and finds his groove with whoever is throwing him the ball for San Fran.
Brandon Aiyuk (knee) unlikely to have 21-day practice window opened next week.
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 3, 2025
Read more:
-Hassan Haskins Or Kimani Vidal: Who Should I Start In Fantasy Football Week 6?
-Terry McLaurin Injury Update: What Fantasy Owners Need to Know About Commanders WR Ahead of Week 6
-Bucky Irving Injury Update: What Fantasy Owners Need to Know About Buccaneers RB Ahead of Week 6
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