The San Francisco 49ers enter the 2025 campaign with something to prove after injuries to players at key positions this past season left them short of their expectations entering the year.
With Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, and others set to return from injuries this season, the outlook in San Francisco is as bright as the Bay Area sky. Unfortunately, though, one high-priced member of the roster still appears to be a ways away from contributing to whatever success the Niners enjoy on the gridiron this season.
Barring something unforeseen at this time, John Lynch and the San Francisco front office will be cutting this veteran some massive checks this season for what likely won't be anything close to the type of production you'd expect from a No. 1 option at their respective position.
49ers Veteran Brandon Aiyuk Set to Rob San Francisco Blind This Season
This past season, Aiyuk suffered a knee injury that forced him to miss nine of the team's 17 games. He also signed a four-year, $120 million extension with the franchise before the 2024 campaign. As of this writing, there is still no firm timetable on when the veteran receiver will be able to get back on the field, which makes him a difficult player to depend on.
When healthy, Aiyuk has proven he can be an impact player on the outside. The problem entering this season is that we have no idea what he is going to look like coming off a torn ACL and MCL. San Francisco has already committed over $22 million in bonus money alone to Aiyuk this season, so trading him now is a non-starter.
Another factor working against the wide receiver is how long it will take Aiyuk to ramp up his activity to the point where he is ready for game action. Assuming he isn't ready for Week 1, the rest of the receivers on the roster will be getting reps in practice and during games that Aiyuk will have to catch up on in one way or another before he truly reestablishes himself as the team's top receiving threat.
Unless Aiyuk is much closer to his return than San Francisco has let on at this point in the offseason, the likelihood that his paycheck outweighs the return he provides on the field is high.