"SANTA CLARA - The 49ers' plan at wide receiver this season was draped in maroon and gold. The Niners were supposed to ride into this postseason on the backs of two Arizona State products, a Tempe two-step atop the wide receiver depth chart designed to torment defensive coordinators from Seattle to Philadelphia. Brandon Aiyuk (Arizona State 2018-19) was the established star, the alpha, the $30-million man."
"And amid all of the Niners' other concerns, that could be their most significant undoing. Let's start with the one we know isn't walking through that door: Aiyuk. Remember him? The guy hasn't snapped a chinstrap since Week 7 of the 2024 season, when his knee decided to call it a career in San Francisco. Since that catastrophe, Aiyuk has been the Invisible Man of Santa Clara."
"He hasn't been seen at the facility in months. Oh, he's around. He's been spotted in the Bay Area, living his life, presumably enjoying the microclimates and the ability to put the pedal to the metal on Tasman Drive. But as far as the 49ers organization is concerned, he's gone. On March 10, when the new league year begins, Aiyuk will be released."
The 49ers entered the season expecting an Arizona State receiving duo to lead the offense: Brandon Aiyuk as the established WR1 and Ricky Pearsall as the first-round heir. Aiyuk suffered a knee injury in Week 7 of the 2024 season and has been absent from the facility for months. The organization considers him gone and plans to release him on March 10 when the new league year begins. Pearsall's status is uncertain and the team may enter crucial postseason games without either receiver. The depleted receiver depth poses a significant threat to San Francisco's playoff prospects.
Read at The Mercury News
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