Will 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk be Ready for Week 1?

Aiyuk certainly is an elite athlete, so it wouldn't come as a surprise if he were to return to football earlier than expected.

Oct 20, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) catches a pass between Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) and safety Chamarri Conner (27) in the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The 49ers might get some good news about Brandon Aiyuk this offseason.

Aiyuk currently is rehabbing his knee. Recently, it was reported that teams were poking around about Aiyuk's availability, but ultimately no teams were interested in trading for him and his horrendous contract. And so the 49ers paid him a $23 million option bonus on April 1 which virtually guarantees they'll have him for at least one more year. Yippee.

Last week at the NFL Annual League Meeting, head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked if there's a chance that Aiyuk will play Week 1 of the upcoming season.

“It’s too early to tell," Shanahan said. "The goal is always early. You hope to have him right away. We were told by his doctor there’s a chance [to play Week 1]. But it’s too early in the process and we’ll see when we get closer to training camp and see what it looks like."

Aiyuk certainly is an elite athlete, so it wouldn't come as a surprise if he were to return to football earlier than expected. But he didn't just tear his ACL -- he tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus.

In 2023, Talanoa Hufanga tore his ACL in Week 10 and was not ready to return until Week 3 of 2024.

Granted, Aiyuk injured his knee in Week 7 of 2024. But his knee injury was much worse than Hufanga's, which means Aiyuk's recovery could take longer as well. Plus, there's no guarantee that Aiyuk will be as fast, as agile or as explosive as he was before the injury.

If the 49ers are smart, they'll go slow with Aiyuk. There's no reason to rush him back from such a debilitating injury.