The 2024 NFL injury plague has claimed another victim: San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right leg, leaving him out for the rest of the season. Let’s dive into an outlook for the 49ers season, the rest of Aiyuk’s career and how the injury bug has affected the rest of the league at this point in the season.
For the 49ers:
Many expected this season to be the one that this 49ers core got over the hump to finally win a Super Bowl. But, after seven weeks, all they have to show is a measly 3-4 record and a plethora of injured superstars.
The squad’s injury troubles started in last year’s Super Bowl, when superstar linebacker Dre Greenlaw came down with a ruptured achilles tendon in his left leg while running out onto the field. His return doesn’t have an exact timetable, but isn’t expected until “a few weeks after the 49ers’ Week 9 bye.”
An hour and a half ahead of their Week 1 matchup, the league’s premier running back (in the eyes of many), Christian McCaffrey, was ruled out due to achilles tendonitis despite being expected to play. This injury landed McCaffrey on injured reserve ahead of their Week 2 matchup, making him eligible to return after Week 5. However, despite McCaffrey being eligible to return for the last two weeks, we’re yet to see him return to action.
Other San Francisco superstars tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Deebo Samuel have also been sidelined. Kittle missed the team’s key Week 3 matchup with the Rams, which turned into a loss. Samuel missed that game as well as a Week 7 Super Bowl rematch with Kansas City (which turned into another loss). Samuel could potentially miss more time as he recently became ill with pneumonia.
Key contributors such as receivers — rookie Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings, former All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and star kicker Jake Moody (just to name a few) — have all also missed time.
The 49ers have their backs to the wall, with each week becoming more important to just make the playoffs, much less the Super Bowl, and they’ve just lost another superstar for the season. Only time will tell how the rest of the season plays out for this squad, but with each of their next six matchups coming against teams with records of .500 or better, optimism is hard to come by, especially when they’re looking anywhere for production.
For Aiyuk:
An MRI after Sunday’s Super Bowl rematch with the Chiefs revealed the 49ers’ worst fears. Aiyuk had suffered an ACL and MCL tear in his right knee, a surefire season-ending injury. Surgery is undoubtedly in the near future for Aiyuk as he starts the long road to recovery for the beginning of the 2025 season.
While this injury is devastating for Aiyuk in what was supposed to be a breakout season, there is hope he can come back stronger than before.
All-time great quarterback Tom Brady had some of the best years of his career after tearing his ACL in 2008. Future Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson ran for over 2,000 yards, nearly setting the NFL record for rushing yards in a season, and won the league MVP the year after sustaining an ACL and MCL tear, just like Aiyuk.
There haven’t been many receivers to come back after an ACL tear, but it has happened. Chris Godwin has had some of the best years of his career after an ACL tear in 2021. He was off to the best start of his career through seven weeks, as he was second in the league in yards and first in receptions through that timespan. He unfortunately caught the injury bug again in the waning moments of the Buccaneers’ Week 7 loss to the Ravens on Monday Night Football, suffering a dislocated ankle that will keep him sidelined throughout the 2024 season.
Also in good news for Aiyuk, in September, he signed a four-year, 120 million dollar contract extension, $76 million of which is fully guaranteed, so even if he fails to return to his former self, he’s still set up for life, a prime example of why the NFLPA has put so much effort into pushing for increased guaranteed money in contracts.
Other notable injuries:
Aidan Hutchinson — After starting out the season hot and as a frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year (led the NFL in sacks with 7.5), Hutchinson suffered a devastating leg injury (fractured tibia and fibula) in the Detroit Lions’ blowout Week 6 win over the Dallas Cowboys, sidelining him until the Super Bowl (if the Lions advance that far).
Deshaun Watson — In the midst of a “prove it” season, Watson suffered an achilles rupture that will sideline him for at least the rest of the 2024 season, making the Cleveland Browns’ QB situation that much more complicated, especially since Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Watson’s backup turned starter injured a finger on his throwing hand this past week.
Tua Tagovailoa — After suffering the third concussion of his NFL career and the fourth of his lifetime in Week 2, Tagovailoa faced lots of commentary from media about potential retirement to protect himself from permanent brain damage. Tagovailoa is slated to return to the gridiron in Week 8 (without a guardian cap), but the Dolphins (2-5) have struggled mightily in his absence.
Nico Collins — Collins started out the season leading the NFL in receiving yards through six weeks (despite missing Week 6, but has recently found himself on IR due to a hamstring injury that will keep him sidelined until at least Week 9.
Rashee Rice — After winning last season’s Super Bowl, expectations for the Chiefs couldn’t have been higher coming into this year. Kansas City has a chance to be the first team in league history to three-peat. However, in a freak accident where his own quarterback took out his knee, Rice suffered a career-threatening injury to his PLC, leaving the two-time defending champions without their best receiver for the rest of the season. On Oct. 23, the Chiefs made a deal for former all-pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins to fill Rice’s void.
