We knew San Francisco 49ers star Brandon Aiyuk wouldn’t play again this season after suffering a major knee injury in the Super Bowl rematch against the Chiefs. But now, we know just how gruesome Aiyuk’s injury is.
Aiyuk posted a video on his YouTube channel Monday and started by giving an update on his knee injury, revealing he not only has a torn ACL and MCL but also has a “messed up meniscus,” too. While Aiyuk’s description of his meniscus injury wasn’t specific, an injury to those three ligaments is something the medical field commonly refers to as an “unhappy triad” injury.
In the video, Aiyuk sounded pained while revealing the extent of his knee injury. He repeated the word “hurting” three consecutive times before discussing some of his early rehabilitation work.
“Trying to walk around a little bit today, a little bit, weight bearing a little bit today, a little bit,” Aiyuk said. “But [I’m] still scared to put all my weight on there.”
Aiyuk’s two torn ligaments were known from previous reports, like the one from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. But Rapoport only said there was “additional damage” in Aiyuk’s knee without much specificity, and head coach Kyle Shanahan declined to answer when asked about damage beyond the torn ACL and MCL last Monday.
Aiyuk had a tumultuous contract dispute this summer with the 49ers that ended with him signing a $120 million extension. When he finally hit the field, though, he had a rough season: Aiyuk finished 2024 with 25 catches (on 47 targets) for 374 receiving yards and no touchdowns.
While a single torn ligament is usually a relatively straightforward repair, recovering from an “unhappy triad” injury could add some complications for Aiyuk. While he’s obviously out for the rest of the 2024 season, the full injury may raise questions about Aiyuk’s chances to be fully healthy in time for the start of 2025.
Most of the video was spent watching some clips from the 49ers’ win over the Cowboys on Sunday night, as well as giving a quick shoutout to Aiyuk’s former college quarterback (and offseason video stunt partner) Jayden Daniels for his Hail Mary touchdown for the Commanders. But in the 80-second opening on his injury, Aiyuk acknowledged just how much rehab work lies ahead for him.
“Officially one week – long-ass week,” Aiyuk said. “But thank you, God, for one week down. We’ve got a lot more to go.”
