Brandon Aiyuk likely done in San Francisco

The San Francisco 49ers are still fighting tooth and nail to claim the NFC West title, sitting just one game behind the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams. What’s been especially impressive about the Niners this season has been the injuries they’ve been forced to overcome.

Just one season after missing the playoffs in an injury-riddled campaign, San Francisco embraced the challenge this year, finding themselves at 9-4 on the season in the highly competitive NFC.

However, one of San Fran’s stars had his season ended prematurely due to a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus in his right knee. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has yet to appear for the Niners this season, and now it looks as if he won’t be seen in a 49ers uniform again.

Aiyuk hasn’t been seen at the Niners’ facility in weeks, per a report from ESPN, and tight end George Kittle hinted that Aiyuk wasn’t likely to return on Thursday.

“At this point, it doesn’t seem like he’s coming back,” Kittle said. “I try my best to not even think about it because I love Brandon. He’s one of my favorite teammates I’ve played with. We have a lot of moments together from his rookie year, every year we’ve played together. That’s the Brandon I remember. So, if I think about the ‘I wish he’d be here,’ it kind of just makes me sad.”

On Saturday, the 49ers officially moved Aiyuk to the reserve/left team list, which is usually reserved for players who are retiring or have quit their team.

49ers placed WR Brandon Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list, making him ineligible to return this season and raising questions about where he’ll be next season. pic.twitter.com/9GAsGHZYhN

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 13, 2025

While the Niners zero in on their home stretch of the season, they’ll do their best to tune out the speculation on Aiyuk’s future and where he’ll suit up next season.