The atmosphere at The Bay feels unusually split. On one hand, the faithful are crossing fingers for Brandon Aiyuk’s recovery to go smoothly. On the other hand, there’s a rising reality that the 49ers might have to start the 2025 season without him. After suffering brutal ACL and MCL injuries last October, Aiyuk has been putting in the work off the field. But that optimism is starting to run up against the calendar.

In the recent presser, Niners offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak talked about Aiyuk. “It’s been awesome,” Kubiak said. “He’s out there every day, he’s with those guys, he’s very much a part of the position group, meaning he’s not just isolated, doing his rehab, and then being around the building. He’s in the individual drills with them, he’s on the field.” That kind of presence matters—but it doesn’t change the injury report.

Most insiders anticipate Aiyuk will miss few games. It’s tough considering he had a breakout 2023—posting 75 receptions, 1,342 yards, and 7 TDs. That performance earned him a four-year, $120 million extension. But then came the 2024 hold-in and the dip. Just 25 catches for 374 yards and zero touchdowns before going down. And even though the Niners want him back at full strength, QB1 Brock Purdy made it clear they’re moving forward with what they’ve got. “You know, come week one, obviously we’re going to rock with whoever we can that’s healthy. Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, Jacob Cowing, Demarcus Robinson, all those guys, man. And we’re excited for every single one of them,” he said on The Rich Eisen Show. 

Purdy also doubled down on his confidence in the offensive depth. George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, and Kyle Juszczyk still make this one of the most dangerous units in football. Add in Kyle Shanahan’s scheming, plus Kubiak and Mick Lombardi handling the calls—there’s still plenty to work with.

Finally, Purdy put it plainly: “So obviously we want all of our guys to be there and healthy, but that’s just how things are right now with, you know, Aiyuk being hurt coming back from his ACL. But we’re going to be just fine. So, I’m excited for it.” And just like that, the 49ers’ wide receiver room enters the season as one of the NFL’s biggest wild cards.

Brandon Aiyuk & 49ers WR depth under spotlight

The Bay’s biggest question mark heading into 2025 is sitting in one specific room—wide receivers. CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan didn’t hold back when he placed the 49ers’ WR group among the league’s ten biggest wild cards. “The club traded away Deebo Samuel to the Commanders this offseason, and Brandon Aiyuk — who paid $120 million on a four-year extension last summer — is still recovering from a torn ACL and MCL he suffered last season,” Sullivan wrote.

And things only get messier when you dig into the depths. Jauan Jennings is expected to start, but he’s dealing with a calf issue and isn’t fully healthy. Then there’s Ricky Pearsall, the first-rounder from 2024, who’s still getting ready for the big stage.

As Sullivan put it, “Jennings broke out in 2024 with 975 yards and six touchdowns last season, and Pearsall was a first-round pick in 2024, so they both are in theory of taking on the workload in a pinch to keep the offense afloat. However, there’s also a world where San Francisco comes up a bit short at the position, which lowers their ceiling offensively.”

Still, Brock Purdy isn’t panicking. After signing his five-year, $265 million extension, the quarterback has his eyes on new names and old allies. San Francisco drafted Jordan Watkins and Junior Bergen and brought in veteran Demarcus Robinson. However, the veteran might be out for the first three games due to a DUI case from 2024.

So while Aiyuk is still recovering, if he and Jennings stay upright, this room could surprise a lot of people. Until then, it’s still a wild card!