Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers will move ahead to the training camp without Brandon Aiyuk in the receiver corps. He is recovering from a torn ACL and MCL suffered last October. However, the general manager, John Lynch, has been optimistic about Aiyuk’s recovery. “Brandon’s doing a tremendous job coming back, Lynch said. “These guys that are incredibly skilled athletes, they tend to heal a lot faster. It’s kind of incredible how well he’s healing, and he’s putting in the work.”

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Because Aiyuk, who signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension just last year, is still unfit to play the whole 2025 season. That said, injury analyst Deepak Chona recently shared his thoughts on Aiyuk’s injury. “Data projects Aiyuk to start on PUP + work up from 80% starting ~ Wk 6,” he wrote. Translation? Well, Aiyuk will be part of the 53-man roster, but don’t expect him to practice or play immediately when the season begins.

Chona predicted that the wideout will start the season at about 80% of his full strength and could start returning around week 6. A huge red flag for Kyle Shanahan and Co., considering Aiyuk’s health issues will affect the Niners’ receiving corps. Enter Larry Krueger, the host of KNBR, who just shared a few moves that could lead the 49ers to Super Bowl LX. Krueger’s suggestion? Of course, trade Brandon Aiyuk.

“Trade Brandon Aiyuk to the Commanders for Terry McLaurin,” he shared on his official ‘X’ handle. But why? Well, Krueger believes that trading Aiyuk for McLaurin is a “Win win trade. Daniels gets his guy Aiyuk, who’s the younger, and potentially better receiver. SF gets a healthy receiver now.” Let’s see what it is.

The Commanders‘ wideout is entering the final season of his deal after wrapping up the 2024 season, boasting a $15.5M base salary. That means McLaurin is now seeking a potential contract extension. A huge one. As per his demands. The catch? The Commanders have yet to finalize a deal. To spice things up, the veteran wideout skipped the mandatory minicamp amidst the contract disputes.

And if the latest intel is accurate, both sides are far from the negotiation process ahead of the 2025 season, and the wideout is looking for a new home. That’s where the Niners come in. The trade rumors of Aiyuk have been buzzing for months now. And with uncertainty looming over the wideout’s health ahead of the forthcoming season, trading for McLaurin just makes sense.

The Commanders’ second-year quarterback, Jayden Daniels, will get a younger wideout, as echoed by Larry Krueger. Niners, on the other hand, are yearning for a healthy receiver, and McLaurin could do the job. He enters the seventh season of his career after recording five consecutive 1,000+ yard seasons. The veteran can complement the Niners’ receiving corps for Brock Purdy.

But it’s not going to be as straightforward as it sounds. The reason? Well, Aiyuk is out there mocking the trade rumors surrounding him.

Brandon Aiyuk believes the 49ers will not trade him

The 49ers are still on the hook for $30 million a year with Aiyuk as their WR1, but given how last season ended and the question marks surrounding his 2025 outlook, it’s no surprise trade talk has started to resurface. At this point, it’s less about loyalty and more about managing risk. But Aiyuk? Well, he isn’t paying much attention to these ridiculous trade rumors. In fact, the 27-year-old wideout mocked these rumors on social media.

On his YouTube channel earlier this week, the wideout laughed off the ongoing trade rumors and claimed that the Niners were looking to trade him at the time when he was still recovering from an ACL and MCL tear. “They was talking bout trading me while I was off percocets /muscle relaxers and peeing in a cup by my bed!” Aiyuk commented on June 23. “Couldn’t walk for 10 weeks ain’t nobody trading for me 🤣💀.”

Ever since Aiyuk recorded his career-best season in 2023 (1,342 receiving yards and 7 TDs), everything went south…well, except for his massive contract extension. And given that he’s returning after recovering from ACL and MCL injury, the 2025 season becomes ridiculously important for him. Trade rumors are swirling, no doubt. And of course, he’s not paying any attention to it. But either way (whether with the 49ers or with any other team), the 2025 season is going to be a major prove-it year for Aiyuk