San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Monday that receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who is recovering from a torn ACL and MCL, could return for Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season. Week 6 is a road contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“I see them around Week 6. That could mean Week 10, or it could mean Week 5. That’s the area where I start thinking about it, which is a long ways away,” Shanahan said when asked about Aiyuk and safety Malik Mustapha‘s injury timelines, via 95.7 The Game. “I know it’s not Week 1 or anything like that, so something I’m not thinking about too much.”

A Week 6 return would mark nearly 11 months removed from surgery for Aiyuk. He suffered the injury in last season’s Week 7 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Aiyuk finished the 2024 season with 25 receptions for 374 yards after tallying a career-high 1,342 yards the year prior.

Aiyuk is currently on the physically unable to perform list (PUP). General manager John Lynch said last Thursday on “The Murph & Markus Show” that he didn’t think Aiyuk would be ready for the regular season opener against the Seattle Seahawks.

“There’s just steps that you have to continue to hit and I’ll continue to say that Brandon is doing well in his rehab,” Lynch said. “Do we have an exact date right now? No. I don’t think it’ll be Week 1, but hopefully I’m surprised. We want him fully healthy. He had a significant injury, so you have to do a significant rehab.”

Brandon Aiyuk remains out, 49ers dealing with multiple injuries

The 49ers weren’t the same team without Aiyuk, who signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension prior to the 2024 season. Dealing with injuries up and down its roster, including running back Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco dropped seven of its last eight games to finish 6-11.

The injury bug has already hit the 49ers. Receiver Jauan Jennings has been nursing a calf injury throughout training camp. Jennings did a light workout on a side field Monday. Rookie wideout Jordan Watkins sustained a high ankle sprain and is expected to miss about a month.