San Francisco 49ers star Brandon Aiyuk’s season went from bad to much, much worse.
Late in the first half of a 28-18 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Aiyuk caught a pass over the middle. He was hit and his knee buckled. Aiyuk remained on the field. Finally, he walked off the field and into the medical tent. During halftime he was taken to the locker room. The 49ers ruled him out shortly after halftime.
After the game, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team feared Aiyuk suffered an ACL injury.
Aiyuk spent most of the offseason and preseason with plenty of trade speculation surrounding him, then signed a four-year, $120 million deal to remain with the 49ers.
He got off to a slow start, with just 351 yards and no touchdowns in six games. Aiyuk also dropped a long pass in the first half on Sunday.
Aiyuk is the latest major injury for San Francisco. Christian McCaffrey hasn’t played all season. First-round draft pick Ricky Pearsall didn’t make his NFL debut until Sunday after being shot in the chest before the season started. Deebo Samuel Sr. played only a few times on Sunday before leaving the game due to illness.
Partly due to injuries, the 49ers have had a difficult start this season. Aiyuk going down won’t help.
