Surgeon hints Brandon Aiyuk could miss opening of 2025 NFL season

Brandon Aiyuk's season was done when he tore his ACL and MCL in Week 7. But there are serious questions whether he'll be ready to go when 2025 kicks off.

At any point when fans hear of a player tearing his ACL, they know that player's season is over.

No "probably." No "potential for a late-season return." None of that. It's more of a "see you to start the next year" kind of thing.

Well, hopefully.

For San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, his season-ending ACL and MCL tear suffered in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs wasn't just devastating. It capped off a tumultuous 2024 overall, a year in which he was the subject of trade speculation amid a contract-extension standoff. Then, he dealt with the ramifications of a statistically down year before the injury, opening the door for criticisms about not living up to his contract.

Now, all he can hope for is a successful surgery (once swelling has gone down enough) and recovery.

So, how long exactly will that be? And is it likely he'll be ready to go when the Niners kick off their 2025 campaign?

Maybe. Maybe not.

One analysis from a well-respected surgeon hinted at the possibility of Aiyuk not being ready for the beginning of next year.

Surgeon sheds light on Brandon Aiyuk's return from ACL, MCL tears

Speaking with Sports Illustrated's Grant Cohn, Ayoosh Pareek MD, a sports-medicine surgeon at the Hospital of Special Surgeries in New York, shared a glimpse of the wide receiver's recovery timeline and how long it'd be until he was ready to return:

"For ACL injuries, pro athletes typically aim to return within 9-12 months. MCL injuries, especially minor ones like sprains or partial tears, often show up with ACL tears but usually don't change the return-to-play timeline. Most of the time, MCL injuries heal with rehab alone, and players can stay on track for recovery.

However, in cases where the MCL tear is more severe and needs surgery, the process can take longer—adding 1-3 months to the return-to-sport timeline. That timeline can shift depending on factors like the player’s position, surgical variability, and individual rehab progress.

If both the ACL and MCL need surgery, it makes recovery more complex, and some of the usual milestones, like running or cutting drills, might get delayed. Fortunately, surgery for the MCL is less common, which helps keep most players on the standard recovery path."

When the extent of Aiyuk's injury was revealed, reports added there could be "additional damage" to just the ACL and MCL tears, increasing the likelihood of complexity.

Based on Pareek's assessment, a best-case scenario for Aiyuk's return would be nine months, suggesting a return to action in late July when San Francisco is undergoing training camp.

Worst case? It'd potentially be a 15-month recovery, possibly meaning Aiyuk wouldn't return until January of 2026 when the 49ers are (hopefully) in the playoffs.

The reality is likely somewhere in the middle, and the 49ers experienced something similar with another one of their star players, safety Talanoa Hufanga, who tore his ACL halfway through the 2023 campaign and wasn't able to return until Week 3 this season.

Pareek also added the most difficult phase of the recovery isn't necessarily the physical but the mental:

"One of the most challenging aspects of recovery is addressing both the physical and psychological components. Athletes must overcome not just the physical demands of rehabilitation but also mental hurdles, such as fear of re-injury, which can impact confidence and performance. The surgery itself is usually an outpatient procedure, but the long-term rehabilitation process requires sustained commitment over months or even years. "

That'll be yet another X-factor in trying to determine how quickly Aiyuk can get back onto the gridiron.

Regardless, one can only hope for a full recovery and wish Aiyuk a speedy return to the field where he can show he's just as potent a weapon as before the injury.

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