The San Francisco 49ers will hope to fix the deficiencies that contributed to their hugely disappointing 2024 campaign this offseason. However, one issue that doesn’t have an immediately obvious resolution is the injury Brandon Aiyuk sustained in Week 7 of this past season and how the 49ers will address it if Aiyuk isn’t ready to start 2025.
Aiyuk, who signed a four-year, $120 million extension last year, sustained a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus damage in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
There has been no talk of any setback in Aiyuk’s recovery but, given the seriousness of his injury, there is similarly no guarantee of him being healthy for the kickoff of the new season.
Aiyuk is undoubtedly the 49ers’ best route-runner, displaying an ability to win at all three levels.
Without him, the 49ers consistently struggled to create separation from coverage. The disparity between his ability to break free from defenders and that of his teammates is reflected by Pro Football Focus’ separation percentage numbers from 2024.
Among receivers with at least 100 opportunities to beat coverage and create separation, Aiyuk ranked 12th with a separation percentage of 65.38.
Contrast that to his teammates. Only 10 receivers had a worse separation rate than Deebo Samuel (45.22%), while Ricky Pearsall (50%), All-Pro tight end George Kittle (53.33%) and Jauan Jennings were better (55.62%), none of them could close to Aiyuk.
But a receiver who could may well end up being available this offseason.
Davante Adams put together a fifth successive 1,000-yard season across games for the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets in 2024. He also ranked 18th in separation rate, posting a percentage of 63.78%.
Adams’ future with the Jets is in doubt, with New York able to save $29.8 million against the cap this year by releasing him following his trade from the Raiders.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday that the Jets’ new head coach Aaron Glenn and new general manager Darren Mougey have not had any contact with Adams. He added that the Jets are not likely to want to carry a $38.2 million cap number for Adams, who turns 33 in December.
Rapoport added that the Jets could “massage” the cap number by converting it into a bonus, or simply release him. If the Jets take the latter course of action, Rapoport believes Adams would prefer to be on the West Coast.
Adams grew up in East Palo Alto, just 12 miles from the 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium home and, though San Francisco has a lot of options at receiver, it would potentially be wise to add another separator of his caliber to the mix not simply to serve as insurance in case Aiyuk is not ready, but to give San Francisco an additional complement who can take extra attention away from their former first-round pick, who may need some time to shake off the rust.
With significant other priorities to address in the draft, receiver is unlikely to be their focus in April’s annual selection meeting, so a move for a suddenly available Adams would be an exciting way to protect against potential struggles for Aiyuk.
There are, of course, several factors to consider that might compel the 49ers to decide against such a move. Last year’s first-round pick Pearsall made considerable strides down the stretch and, with the offense already blessed with Aiyuk, Kittle, Samuel, Jennings and the considerable pass-catching talents of Christian McCaffrey, there’s a case to be made that Adams could soon be complaining of a lack of targets.
Such a move may also hinge on Adams’ possible contractual demands as a free agent. The 49ers are set to start negotiations with Brock Purdy over his likely lucrative long-term extension, while Kittle believes his agent is in talks with San Francisco over an extension.
There may, therefore, be limited appeal on the part of the Niners to paying Adams a large salary. Still, with a departure from the Jets a distinct possibility and Aiyuk’s playing status for 2025 one of the 49ers’ biggest unknowns for next season, Adams’ situation with New York is one they should be watching very closely.
