Brandon Aiyuk’s season is over.
The San Francisco 49ers sustained a season-ending knee injury in their 28-18 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, tests confirmed on Monday, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Aiyuk has a torn ACL and MCL, and there may be other damage in his knee. He will have surgery in the near future.
#49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk does, in fact, have a torn ACL and MCL, per sources after the MRI. There may be other damage.
His season is over, with a long road back for 2025. This is what coach Kyle Shanahan and SF believed following the game. pic.twitter.com/Ju5nxlgDLC
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 21, 2024
Aiyuk caught a pass over the middle of the field late in the first half of Sunday’s game at Levi’s Stadium, but his knee buckled in hard as he was hit and brought down. Ayiuk remained on the field for quite some time before he eventually walked off and into the medical tent. He was eventually carted off into the locker room, and was ruled out of the game.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game that the team feared he had sustained an ACL injury.
Aiyuk held out for most of both the offseason and the preseason this fall while searching for a new long-term contract with the organization. He eventually signed a four-year, $120 million deal to remain in San Francisco.
Aiyuk will finish the season with 374 yards and no touchdowns on 25 catches. All of those figures are career lows for the 26-year-old, who the 49ers first selected with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Arizona State. Aiyuk racked up a career-high 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns last season while leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl.
Aiyuk’s injury is just the latest the 49ers’ offense has dealt with already this season. Star running back Christian McCaffrey still hasn’t seen the field while dealing with a calf and Achilles injury, and Deebo Samuel appeared in just a handful of snaps on Sunday before leaving the game with an illness. Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall made his NFL debut in Sunday’s loss after missing the first six games of the year after he was shot in the chest earlier this fall, too.
The 49ers dropped to 3-4 on the season after Sunday’s loss. They’ll host the Dallas Cowboys next week.
