49ers Have Zero Clue When Brandon Aiyuk Will Return

Well, this isn't good.

Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) runs after a catch against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

A new update has been provided by the San Francisco 49ers regarding Brandon Aiyuk.

The update is that there isn't one. The 49ers have zero clue when Aiyuk will return. On Tuesday, John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan held a press conference for the opening of training camp.

During the presser, Lynch was asked about Aiyuk, where he stated that they're "encouraged" with his recovery, but he isn't "anywhere close to having a concrete timeline" for his return.

Lynch said the team is "encouraged" about Brandon Aiyuk's recovery, but the team is "not anywhere close to having a concrete timeline" on when he'll resume practices. He emphasized that his original, October 20 knee injury was a significant one.

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"We're continuing to assess and get information. He did a lot of his rehab away from here," Lynch said. "And so, you know, I think when you get these guys back, there's all kinds of objective measurements that you want to do. And so, he'll be working on his rehab and with our guys, and I think we're encouraged on where he is at but not anywhere close to having a set in stone timeline.”

You would think or hope by now the 49ers would've given a rough estimate of when Aiyuk can be back. At least, a timeframe of when he will begin to ramp up.

However, Lynch and the 49ers may be keeping it as open-ended as possible. The moment they put any dates, no matter how rough an estimate, it creates an expectation.

By keeping it vague, and probably truthful, about how they don't know when Aiyuk will return, it keeps all options on the table.

While it isn't good to hear that Aiyuk isn't close, it's also not that surprising. After all, he did tear his ACL and MCL in October. Aiyuk hasn't even eclipsed nine months yet from his surgery.

It's going to be quite a while before any positive update gets reported on Aiyuk. As of now, he looks primed to remain on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list to start the season.

That means he will miss the first four games of the season. Going with that approach, even if he returns in a month, might be the best course of action.

Taking the slow and cautious approach with Aiyuk is best. That way, he can be fully fit by midseason and start to produce as the high level player that he is.