San Francisco 49ers suffer $6m injury hammer blow amid Brandon Aiyuk news

The San Francisco 49ers have suffered yet another injury blow with Christian Kirk heading back to the Injured Reserve List. The 49ers have again been decimated by injuries this season, especially to their wide receiver room. Mike Evans has been struggling all year while De’Zhaun Stribling, Ricky Pearsall and Deebo Samuel are out. Kirk missed the first six games of the season with a calf injury but made his season debut against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7. He did not receive a target in the match but played 20 offensive snaps as the 49ers looked to ease him back into action. However, the 29-year-old, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans, is now injured again. Kirk signed a one-year, $6million contract with San Francisco in March but was injured during training camp. He has now been placed on the IR again after suffering a knee injury in training this week and may need surgery on his meniscus. Demarcus Robinson has been activated from the IR list and will start against the Las Vegas Raiders in Sunday’s Week 9 clash. The latest blow to the 49ers’ receiving corps comes amid news of Brandon Aiyuk’s possible return. Aiyuk’s situation with San Francisco remains complicated due to contract disputes, injuries and uncertainty over his future in the NFL. The relationship between player and team deteriorated after Aiyuk suffered a serious knee injury in October 2024, just weeks after signing a four-year, $120 million contract extension. He missed the remainder of the 2024 season and subsequently became involved in a major dispute with the organisation over his rehabilitation and commitment to team activities. The 49ers placed him on the left squad list after he stopped attending team activities, and voided approximately $27m in guaranteed money for 2026. General manager John Lynch has previously suggested Aiyuk had played his last game for San Francisco. And head coach Kyle Shanahan has consistently said he has mentally moved on. However, Aiyuk recently hired high-profile agent Drew Rosenhaus. He submitted paperwork for NFL reinstatement this week and returned to the 49ers’ facility on Friday saying he was back to being physically ready to play . A reunion looks unlikely with San Francisco despite their mounting injury problems. And while a trade could be the cards this coming week, the possibility of him wearing red and gold again has not been completely ruled out either. The 6-1 49ers welcome the 4-4 Raiders to Levi’s Stadium for Sunday evening’s game. Shanahan’s team was on a bye last week but lost to the Falcons last time out.