Now that Deebo Samuel has been traded to the Washington Commanders, the main focal point in the passing offense of the San Francisco 49ers happens to be wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. When he gets 100% healthy again, that is.

Aiyuk suffered a torn ACL just a couple months removed from signing a lucrative four-year, $120 million extension with the 49ers after a lengthy holdout. While Aiyuk wasn’t the only star to undergo surgery last season, it was a clear factor in the team going 6-11 last year.

As the former Arizona State product continues to recover from his injury, the 49ers have provided an update on his recovery. And it’s bad news in a sense … as talk at league meetings last week showed Aiyuk still has his work cut out for him at this point. Related: 49ers And QB Purdy Are Doomed To Get Worse Per Dan Patrick

“It’s too early to tell,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “The goal is always early. You hope to have him right away. We were told by his doctor there’s a chance [to play Week 1]. But it’s too early in the process and we’ll see when we get closer to training camp and see what it looks like.” Aiyuk has caught 294 passes since being San Fran’s first-round pick in 2020. The 49ers know they will need Aiyuk back as healthy as possible if they are to remain NFC contenders.

Especially in an offense that has already lost Samuel and has All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey dealing with some serious knee injuries as well.

It’s why Aiyuk’s return may be one of the most important for the 49ers moving forward.