Player
Brandon Aiyuk
WR
Year-over-year growth from 748 to 1,342 yards looked like an emerging WR1 trajectory before the ACL stopped it cold — the curve, not the peak, is what makes 2026 a real call.
5-year career, 4 seasons of climbing production. The 2024 ACL injury cut a probable 1,200-yard year short.
TrendAiyuk regular-season production by year
| Year | G | Rec | Yds | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 12 | 60 | 748 | 5 |
| 2021 | 17 | 56 | 826 | 5 |
| 2022 | 17 | 78 | 1,015 | 8 |
| 2023 | 16 | 75 | 1,342 | 7 |
| 2024 | 7 | 25 | 374 | 0 |
Receiving yards by year
| Season | Yards |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 748 |
| 2021 | 826 |
| 2022 | 1015 |
| 2023 | 1342 |
| 2024 | 374 |
Why it matters. Year-over-year growth from 748 to 1,342 yards looked like an emerging WR1 trajectory before the ACL stopped it cold — the curve, not the peak, is what makes 2026 a real call.
Career line: 294 receptions, 4,305 yards, 25 TDs in 69 games. 14.64 career YPR is downfield-WR territory.
SplitCareer regular-season totals through 2025
| Stat | Total |
|---|---|
| Games | 69 |
| Receptions | 294 |
| Receiving Yards | 4,305 |
| Receiving TDs | 25 |
| Y/R | 14.64 |
| Yds/Game | 62.4 |
Why it matters. 14.64 YPR is downfield-WR territory, not a possession profile — Aiyuk built his volume on chunk plays in Shanahan's scheme, which is why every healthy-season target share carried 49ers offensive weight.
Played in Super Bowl LVIII (Feb 2024) — caught 3 passes for 49 yards in the OT loss to KC.
ComparisonAiyuk 2023 playoff line
| Round | Opp | Rec | Yds | TDs | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional | GB | 3 | 32 | 0 | W 24-21 |
| NFC Champ | DET | 3 | 68 | 1 | W 34-31 |
| SB LVIII | KC | 3 | 49 | 0 | L 22-25 OT |
Why it matters. Aiyuk's lone career playoff TD came in the NFC Championship win over Detroit — his postseason ceiling is real (24 catches in 9 games), and a Super Bowl appearance is something most of the 2020 WR class still doesn't have.
Aiyuk's 2023 season ranked 2nd in NFL WR yards-per-reception (17.89, min 50 rec) and 7th in receiving yards — peak-form efficiency.
Comparison2023 NFL WR leaders in yards-per-reception (min 50 receptions)
| Rank | Player | Rec | Yds | Y/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Pickens | 63 | 1,140 | 18.10 |
| 2 | Brandon Aiyuk | 75 | 1,342 | 17.89 |
| 3 | Amari Cooper | 72 | 1,250 | 17.36 |
| 4 | DK Metcalf | 66 | 1,114 | 16.88 |
| 5 | Nico Collins | 80 | 1,297 | 16.21 |
Why it matters. Aiyuk wasn't a volume-empty deep specialist in 2023 — he combined chunk-play efficiency (top-2 YPR) with real volume (top-10 yards), which is rare and explains why the ACL injury reset the 49ers' offensive identity, not just his stat line.
He missed all of 2025 recovering from his 2024 ACL tear. The full-year absence is rare for a WR coming off elite production.
AnomalyAiyuk 2024-2025 missing time
| Year | G | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 7 | ACL tear (mid-season) |
| 2025 | 0 | Recovery / rehab |
Why it matters. Missing all of 2025 on top of half of 2024 means Aiyuk lost his age-26 and age-27 seasons — typically a WR's physical peak. The 49ers built around him as a complementary piece to Deebo and McCaffrey; the comeback question is whether explosion grades return.
Hit 1,000+ yards in 2 of his first 4 healthy seasons. The trajectory was Pro Bowl-bound before the injury.
MilestoneAiyuk 1,000-yard seasons
| Year | Yds |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,015 |
| 2023 | 1,342 |
Why it matters. Two 1,000-yard seasons in three healthy years (2022-2023) before the ACL is the floor argument — Aiyuk had crossed the threshold separating WR2s from real WR1s, and the 2026 return will be judged against that 2,357-yard two-year peak, not the rookie/sophomore baseline.
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