Brandon Aiyuk’s 2024 season is over.
The San Francisco 49ers‘ star wide receiver tore his ACL and MCL, tests confirmed Monday, as FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz reported.
Aiyuk suffered the injury in the 49ers’ 28-18 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. After the game, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team feared that Aiyuk suffered an ACL tear, but was awaiting confirmation following an MRI on Monday.
“I know a lot of teams deal with that,” Shanahan said about the spate of injuries. “Not every team, but we’re dealing with it hard right now. It got worse today. It’s tough.”
Aiyuk got hurt late in the first half when he was hit on the knee after making a catch in the red zone. He stayed down for a few minutes before being carted to the locker room and was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game.
Aiyuk, who signed a four-year, $120 million extension in late August following a lengthy contract “hold in,” has 25 catches for 374 yards this season. He was a second-team All-Pro last season when he had 1,342 yards receiving.
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“Obviously just what BA does for our offense, who he is as a teammate and brother of ours, man, it’s sad,” quarterback Brock Purdy said. “So wish him nothing but the best moving forward. That’s my guy.”
San Francisco was already without two of its other top receivers in Sunday’s game. Jauan Jennings was sidelined by a hip injury that is not expected to be long-term and Deebo Samuel was dealing with an illness that limited him to four snaps against Kansas City.
The injuries and ailments to Aiyuk, Samuel and Jennings put even more responsibility on the plate of rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who made his NFL debut less than two months after getting shot in a robbery attempt. Pearsall came in for his first play on San Francisco’s opening drive and caught his first career pass late in the second quarter. He finished with three catches for 21 yards.
“He was going to get eased in a little today,” Shanahan said. “That changed a little bit with Deebo going out and it changed a bunch with Aiyuk going out. So he had to do more than we expected today and I was proud of him for handling it. It’s great to have him back.”
Now, Pearsall’s role in San Francisco’s offense will likely be expanded with Aiyuk out for the rest of the season. Aiyuk is just the second star player on the 49ers’ offense who will miss an extended period of time this season. Running back Christian McCaffrey has yet to play this season due to a lingering calf issue. The 49ers are targeting McCaffrey to return by early November, NFL Media reported Monday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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