Kyle Shanahan reveals concerning injury update on Brandon Aiyuk

The San Francisco 49ers faced a day of mixed fortunes when they welcomed back wide receiver Ricky Pearsall while battling a potentially season-ending injury to their top receiver, Brandon Aiyuk.

During Sunday’s 28-18 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Aiyuk sustained what the team fears could be a torn ACL in his right knee.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan offered a somber update in the postgame press conference, stating:

“Brandon Aiyuk had a knee, we’re worried it’s an ACL. It’s not confirmed yet, but we’ll know for sure tomorrow.”

The next 24 hours will be crucial as more tests will determine the full extent of Aiyuk’s injury.

Kyle Shanahan says 49ers are concerned Brandon Aiyuk suffered ACL injury in today’s loss pic.twitter.com/5Bn7hBmpLf

— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) October 20, 2024

If initial concerns are confirmed, Aiyuk will require surgery and miss the rest of the season.

The day had already started with challenges for the 49ers’ receiving corps. Aiyuk was the only healthy player among the team’s top three receivers at the start of the game.

Jauan Jennings had been ruled out Friday with a hip injury, while Deebo Samuel arrived at Levi’s Stadium battling an illness.

Despite expectations that Samuel would play, he was limited to just four snaps before returning to the sideline, finishing the game without a sack or a carry.

The 49ers are optimistic about the return of Jennings and Samuel for next week’s game against the Cowboys.

However, Aiyuk’s situation seems more concerning and could significantly affect the team’s offensive strategy moving forward.

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