The San Francisco 49ers are closer to welcoming back wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk from his devastating ACL and MCL tears suffered in October of 2024.
But, they're not there yet.
There was guarded optimism Aiyuk might be ready to return earlier this season, namely the Week 5 mark after spending the first four weeks on the physically unable-to-perform (PUP) list to start the year.
Despite promising reports of his recovery, that timeline extended, although the duo of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch remained confident the receiver's return was sooner than later.
Weeks have passed, yet the message continues to be the same: He's getting there, but he's not there yet.
Brandon Aiyuk is inching closer to returning from injury
Speaking to KNBR 680 on Thursday, Lynch was asked if Aiyuk would be gearing up to return soon after missing the Niners' first nine games of the season thus far.
Lynch's response wasn't unlike previous responses, involving both optimism and guarded caution.
"He can be having a miraculous recovery because he's worked hard and because he's different," Lynch said. "He's very blessed by the good Lord with his athletic ability, and those guys tend to heal faster.
"But still, it's a long, long process, and you have to hit all the markers. And so, it's come along well. We're getting close to opening up that window, and we look forward to the time."
Shanahan's comments from earlier in the week weren't that different either, displaying some clear hope Aiyuk's return was soon but not getting overly excited about it being imminent.
"I’m pretty confident that he is going to, eventually," Shanahan said. "At least open up his practice window. We talk about it being week-to-week right now, so still waiting until he is ready."
The optimism is clearly there, yes. But so is the frustration.
San Francisco's stance on Aiyuk hasn't changed much since the beginning of the season. True, Aiyuk's injury was awfully serious with multiple ligaments damaged. Yet with the 49ers dealing with a swarm of brutal injuries on both sides of the ball, having some concrete news about one of their best players would be a welcomed relief.
Unfortunately, anything concrete has yet to be provided.