{"id":68268,"date":"2025-07-13T14:18:36","date_gmt":"2025-07-13T14:18:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68268"},"modified":"2025-07-13T14:18:36","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T14:18:36","slug":"new-potential-return-date-emerges-for-49ers-wr-brandon-aiyuk-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68268","title":{"rendered":"New Potential Return Date Emerges for 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk: Report"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\">\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2178148611-e1752409616790.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2178148611-e1752409616790.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2178148611-e1752409616790.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2178148611-e1752409616790.jpg?quality=35&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"New Potential Return Date Emerges for 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk: Report\" width=\"780\" height=\"438\" \/><\/figure>\n<div>\n<p>Getty<\/p>\n<p>Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Brandon Aiyuk\u2019s rehab has become one of the most closely watched storylines in the NFL.<\/p>\n<p>With veterans reporting to training camp for the San Francisco 49ers on July 22, there\u2019s no chance he\u2019ll be putting the pads on just yet, but according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, Aiyuk may be ready to go sooner than initially expected.<\/p>\n<p>Still recovering from a devastating 2024 knee injury in which he tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus, the expectation is that he\u2019ll begin training camp or the season on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list. That would mean he\u2019d miss at least four games, potentially more.<\/p>\n<p>But Maiocco says the veteran wideout could be ready as soon as Week 1.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI hear that knee is even ahead of schedule,\u201d Maiocco said on KBHR on July 10 (h\/t Niner Nation\u2019s Kyle Posey).<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Could Brandon Aiyuk Return Week 1 for the San Francisco 49ers?<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_5399918\">\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-1870732685-e1750848227916.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=782\" alt=\"New Potential Return Date Emerges for 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk: Report\" width=\"782\" height=\"440\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5399918\" data-lazy-load=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-5399918\">GettyA New report says San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk could return Week 1.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cFrom what I understand, he\u2019s doing really well,\u201d Maiocco said about Aiyuk. \u201cFrom what I understand is, he could be ready Week 1. But also, because there was more to it than a clean ACL. There was ACL, MCL, some other stuff. They wanna be extra cautious with him. And so, even though the timeline, everything being equal might point to Week 1.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If Aiyuk is indeed ready to go when the regular season begins, it would be a remarkable feat. He suffered the injury less than two months into the regular season last year. Multiple torn knee ligaments, especially for wide receivers, can be extremely difficult to rehab from.<\/p>\n<p>Considering his importance to the franchise, Maiocco thinks the Niners are going to be cautious and not rush any aspect of Aiyuk\u2019s return, though.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the feeling inside of the organization has always been, don\u2019t take any chances,\u201d he added. \u201cStart him off on PUP when they report to training camp on July 22, and more than likely have that carry over into the regular season. \u2026 Everything I\u2019m hearing is things are looking good and the progress is even ahead from the markers that the 49ers put on him when he had that surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Aiyuk\u2019s Performance in 2025 Will Be Under Serious Scrutiny<\/h2>\n<p>Aiyuk had a breakout campaign in 2023, hauling in 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns over 16 regular season games, averaging a ridiculous 17.9 yards per catch. He earned second-team All-Pro recognition that year, solidifying his status as one of the NFL\u2019s elite deep threats.<\/p>\n<p>Contract tensions bubbled through the offseason after his career year, highlighted by a public standoff in summer of 2024. But by late August, the 49ers and Aiyuk reached a resolution: a four\u2011year extension worth $120 million, with $76 million guaranteed, ($30 million average annual salary). The deal cemented Aiyuk as the team\u2019s WR1 heading into the season.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, his 2024 campaign ended Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs, when he tore multiple ligaments in his knee. Through his first seven games last year, he had 25 catches for 374 yards (15 yards per catch). Without their top wideout and amid other injuries, the 49ers finished with a 6\u201311 mark, their first losing season since 2020.<\/p>\n<p>Bleacher Report later ranked Aiyuk\u2019s new deal among the NFL\u2019s worst active contracts, citing the injury and uncertainty about his long-term durability.<\/p>\n<p>If Aiyuk returns earlier in the season and picks up where he left off, he\u2019ll silence the critics himself. It sounds like he\u2019s on his way to doing just that.<\/p>\n<p>Beth Mishler-Elmore Beth Mishler-Elmore is a Heavy sports contributor based in the Midwest, focusing on the NFL, NBA and WNBA. More about Beth Mishler-Elmore<\/p>\n<h2>More Heavy on 49ers<\/h2>\n<p>Loading more stories<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brandon Aiyuk&#8217;s return to the 49ers is eagerly anticipated. Will he be ready for Week 1 after his knee injury?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":68269,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>New Potential Return Date Emerges for 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk: Report - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=68268\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New Potential Return Date Emerges for 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk: Report - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Brandon Aiyuk&#039;s return to the 49ers is eagerly anticipated. 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