The San Francisco 49ers have been plagued by ongoing injury concerns, and things aren’t improving in Week 7. During the October 20 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, they lost two key receivers: Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. While Samuel’s absence is due to an illness, Aiyuk’s situation appears to be more serious, with a potential long-term knee injury.
Samuel played despite feeling ill but did not record any stats and later left the game. Aiyuk’s injury occurred after his second catch when he was tackled by Chiefs defenders Trent McDuffie and Chamarri Conner, resulting in a troubling collision that caused Aiyuk’s leg to bend awkwardly.
This incident adds to the team’s disappointing injury woes, especially in a game they were eager to win. Prior to the injury, Aiyuk had been struggling this season despite signing a lucrative four-year, $120 million contract after offseason trade rumors. He had managed just 351 yards in six games leading up to Week 7, with only one game exceeding 100 receiving yards and three drops, which is concerning given his previous performance.
As for Samuel, despite being active, he saw limited action and was back in street clothes by the second half. His situation is intriguing, especially since he has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate as the deadline approaches on November 5. While it’s unlikely he intentionally avoided the game, his absence could have implications for the 49ers‘ plans moving forward.
