Thanks in large part to the $22.85MM roster bonus that vested on April 1, along with the fact that his contract and recent ACL tear have cratered his trade value, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will be back with the 49ers in 2025 as both player and team attempt to rebound from a forgettable 2024 season. We recently heard Aiyuk was targeting a return midway through the 2025 slate, but there is some hope he could be back even earlier, as Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area writes.
“I don’t know,” Kyle Shanahan said at this year’s league meetings. “It’s too early to tell. The goal is always early. You hope to have him right away. We were told by his doctor there’s a chance. But it’s too early in the process and we’ll see when we get closer to training camp and see what it looks like.”
Confirming Aiyuk’s recovery is coming along as planned, GM John Lynch added, “[w]e’re pleased with Brandon’s progress. He’s been working hard and got good reviews from [surgeon] Dr. [Neal] ElAttrache. That was a key marker, as I mentioned it would be. He did well.”
San Francisco lost a great deal of notable talent this offseason thanks to cap constraints, and it also traded away longtime WR Deebo Samuel. After authorizing a four-year, $120MM extension for Aiyuk in August 2024 – on the heels of the receiver’s 75/1,342/7 showing in 2023 – the Niners were reportedly open to dealing the Arizona State product this year as well. While it would not have taken much to convince Lynch to agree to a trade, it seems that even a buy-low offer did not come in.
Meanwhile, Lynch did execute a trade with the Vikings, sending running back Jordan Mason to Minnesota in exchange for a 2026 sixth-rounder and a Day 3 pick swap in the 2025 draft. While the deal may have been motivated in part by finances – the 49ers had applied the second-round RFA tender to Mason, which would have paid him a fully guaranteed $5.3MM in 2025 – the presence of fellow RB Isaac Guerendo also played a role.
“I was impressed with how tough he competed, how hard he ran,” Shanahan said of Guerendo (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic (subscription required)). “I think he ran harder as the year went (on), which is a really good sign for guys. Because if you run less hard as the year goes on you’re probably not going to be running it too much in the future. I was impressed with the mentality he had.”
That said, injuries have frequently forced Shanahan to plumb the depths of his RB depth chart during his tenure as the Niners’ HC. With the injury-prone Christian McCaffrey due back as the club’s RB1, the 49ers still should be considered likely to use this deep draft class to further bolster this position, Barrows adds. Though, Guerendo flashed at points during an intriguing rookie year.
Labeling Guerendo as a player with a “bright future,” Shanahan observed the fourth-round pick average five yards per carry and 10.1 per reception. The Wisconsin product totaled 78 rushing yards and two touchdowns during a start against the Bears while adding 99- and 85-yard showings prior to that outing. Guerendo suffered an MCL sprain and a sprained ankle late in the season. By trading Mason, the 49ers dealt away a key backup option. While they are set to turn to a player who clocked a 4.33-second 40-yard dash time at the 2024 Combine, more help will likely be en route soon.
McCaffrey had held up for the 49ers between the October 2022 trade and Super Bowl LVIII, but last season reminded of the injury issues the dynamic starter experienced as a Panther. Guerendo should be expected to see steady work off the bench in 2025, and it will be interesting if the 49ers make a notable addition to further insure this position group. Patrick Taylor and Israel Abanikanda round out the 49ers’ RB contingent.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
SF is trending down. They’ve lost alot of talent. Let’s see how effective Aiyuk will be without Deebo and CMC out of the lineup due to injury. Can only plug n play with Shanahan’s system so much.
Is CMC injured?
Not fully healthy probably regardless of what Shanahan says. 3 out of the last 5 years he has played less than half the season and he is not getting any younger. Of couple that I say that he will probably have 2000 yards rushing this year.
The only one that truly hurts is Greenlaw, and he barely played. Banks was actually really bad and that contract the packers gave him is gonna be awful. Nobody else they lost played much at all.
That being said they 100% should have kept Mason, but they’ve been really good at getting udfa’s for rb’s
I think Jordan Mason should have been a keeper. He was big, fast and durable. McCaffrey can rumble for 200 yards when a game is already won. But he was insignificant against Chiefs in 2023 SB. And he fumbled at the Chief’s 27 yard line on Niner’s first drive. He’s an aging player not quick enough to avoid getting hit, thereby gets injured. Guerendo’s straight up style of running doesn’t keep him healthy.
Shanahan was desperate for Championship run in 2022/23, so he gave up a lot to trade for McCaffrey, sign Bosa and Samuel with big extensions. You can’t blame Kyle. He wants the SB championship. But this window is over with the players from 2023. The players, coaches and ownership had their chance and couldn’t get it done. It’s the reason for the current, mass exodus of veteran players.
If Niners hope for a playoff run in 2026, it will be a team of young, smaller payroll players. McCaffrey, Kittle, Trent Williams, Warner, Aiyuk – will all be gone. Chavarius Ward and Pearsall will lead the rookie team. And Purdy will stay if he agrees to a reasonable, team friendly contract.
Ward is not young either.
The fumble was a freak accident play. He averages 1 per 100 carries. I agree they should have kept Mason, but not at 5 mill. Should have been easy to get better compensation considering he was leading the league in rushing for a couple weeks.
They have a last place schedule next year, they’ll make the playoffs as long as they don’t have another crazy injury year
Niners lost some players but the team was more overrated than talented. Niners play in the soft NFC West, playing twice – Seahawks, Cardinals, Rams. Then there’s the weak Cowboys. So, I’m with the ownership. Paying hefty salaries to players to win a championship is logical. But if they can’t do the job, trading or releasing them makes perfect sense because it does no good to keep them around for extended years.
If I were Jed York, here’s what I’d do. Let Purdy play out the 2025 season on his current rookie contract. See what he does. If he performs well, abstains injury and still has desire to play football – sign him for $50 million.
Keep the 11 draft picks, not trading up or down. There’s no need for superstars or franchise players. A team can win with a cadre of good, all-around players.
After 2025, trade Bosa, McCaffrey, Aiyuk, Kittle. Use the extra change to acquire good-playing free agents versus keeping so called studs that suck the team dry of available funds.
So use up all the cap on dead cap hits, good call
Purdy will always desire to play football and the extension will get done before training camp.