49ers’ HC Kyle Shanahan shares concerning update on WR Brandon Aiyuk’s exit with knee injury after loss to Chiefs
A double-team hit from Chiefs players left 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk sidelined, with head coach Kyle Shanahan fearing a potential ACL tear.
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Brandon Aiyuk ACL injury (Image via IMAGO)
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk may have torn his ACL during Sunday’s high-voltage clash against the Kansas City Chiefs. He will likely miss a chunk of the season.
Late in the second quarter, hardly a couple of snaps before the halftime whistle, Aiyuk got double-teamed by the Chiefs corner Trent McDuffie and safety Chamarri Conner. Aiyuk, after receiving a pass from quarterback Brock Purdy, was looking to gain some ground when the Chiefs duo tackled him.
While McDuffie was holding the all-pro receiver down by wrapping his arms around Aiyuk’s waist, Conner slammed into him, and the impact also took out his right leg, which bent the other way. The impact was too much for him to handle, so he stayed down until the medical team rushed to help him.
Not good.. Aiyuk with the nasty leg injury. #KCvsSF pic.twitter.com/Ot6sAeng4N
— Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) October 20, 2024
After a short while, cameras caught him hobbling his way into the blue tent—never a good sign. Fears of 49ers fans came true as NBC’s Nick Wagoner posted that Brandon Aiyuk may have torn his ACL which was later highlighted by 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Brandon Aiyuk is headed into the blue tent. pic.twitter.com/VS8zAnkQYW
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 20, 2024
Brandon Aiyuk had a knee. We’re worried it’s an ACL. Not confirmed yet, but we’ll find out for sure tomorrow.
Kyle Shanahan said
Kyle Shanahan during his post-game press conference: “Brandon Aiyuk had a knee, we're worried it's an ACL. Not confirmed yet, but we'll find out for sure tomorrow.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 21, 2024
A day of disaster for Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers
There was an air of optimism before the Super Bowl LVIII rematch at Levi’s Stadium, but Deebo Samuel’s sudden departure due to illness and Aiyuk’s ACL tear quickly soured the mood. Fans did get to cheer for a couple of picks from Patrick Mahomes, but at the same time, the three time Super Bowl winner also tormented their defense as so often has been the case.
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The game finished 28-18 as Mahomes continued his winning streak (5 games) against Shanahan’s team. But that’s the least of their concerns with so many players listed as injured.
Reigning OPOY Christian McCaffery hasn’t played a single snap in 2024 due to Achilles tendonitis, Samuel remains a concern, Aiyuk is probably out for the rest of the year, and rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall played his first NFL snaps on Sunday after recovering from getting shot in August.
Before Aiyuk left the game, he had two catches for 23 yards. Even before that, he didn’t perform at the level that’s expected of him. With just 23 catches for 351 yards and zero touchdowns, Aiyuk so far has failed to justify the four-year, $120 million contract that he signed early on.
It’s a massive letdown for Shanahan’s men, who were early-season favorites to play at least the NFC title game. However, 3-4 after week seven is a sign that things aren’t as great behind the scenes as they should be. They will stay at home for the week 8 game against fellow NFC strugglers, the Dallas Cowboys, who enjoyed their bye this week.