49ers eyeing potential Week 6 return for Aiyuk

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan offered a loose timeline for Brandon Aiyuk’s potential return, as the veteran receiver continues to recover from a torn ACL and MCL suffered last year.

While Shanahan wouldn’t commit to a specific date, he said Monday that he hopes Aiuyk will be back on the field midseason, along with Malik Mustapha and Kurtis Rourke.

“I kind of view all those guys around the same time,” Shanahan said, according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. “Whether it’s Mustafa, whether it’s Rourke, or whether it’s Brandon. They’re all at different stages, but where they’re at, I always see ’em around Week 6, which means that could be Week 10, it means it could be Week 5, but that’s the area where I start thinking about it, which is a long way away.”

The 49ers hit the road in Week 6 to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 12.

Aiyuk missed the final 10 games of the 2024 regular season after sustaining his injury during the Niners’ matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

San Francisco currently has a depleted group at receiver, with Jauan Jennings and Jacob Cowing missing Monday’s practice due to injuries. Shanahan also said that a high ankle sprain is expected to sideline rookie Jordan Watkins for at least a month. Additionally, Demarcus Robinson is awaiting word from the league office after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor DUI charge in July.

Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120-million contract in August 2024 after a lengthy contract dispute with the Niners. The 27-year-old posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023.

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