49ers’ dream of Super Bowl history linked to ‘missing’ $120m player as coach admits uncertainty

San Francisco is dealing with multiple battles at once.

The 49ers are in the middle of a fight for the NFC West crown with the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks, and all three teams have nine wins entering Week 14.

getty

49ers can make Super Bowl history

San Francisco is also trying to follow Tom Brady‘s Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the only other team in NFL history to win the Super Bowl in its home city.

Super Bowl LX will be played on February 8, 2026 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

The New England Patriots, Denver Broncos and Rams are among the current big game contenders.

The 49ers have reached an impressive 9-4 mark while bouncing between Brock Purdy and Mac Jones at quarterback this season.

But San Francisco is still missing a key offensive weapon who could give Kyle Shanahan’s offense an extra edge during the final month of the 2025 season.

Veteran wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk engaged in a tense contract hold out in 2024, but eventually agreed to a four-year, $120 million deal just before the start of that season.

Yet Aiyuk only played in seven games and was held to 25 catches for 374 yards.

That 2024 disappointment has been followed by a no-show in 2025, while the 27-year-old receiver recovers from ACL, MCL and meniscus injuries in his right knee.

Amid mounting tension between a $120m player and the team, Shanahan addressed Aiyuk’s potential return in a recent interview with KNBR.

Do 49ers think Aiyuk will return?

“I’m definitely still hopeful,” Shanahan said. “I’m not counting on it, but I’m definitely still hoping that can happen.”

getty

talkSPORT reacts ... Too much McCaffrey

Kudos to Christian McCaffrey for again becoming one of the best running backs in the NFL.

The fact that McCaffrey has shaken off another injury to return to the peak as a weekly dual threat is a testament to his athletic talent and inner drive.

But, once again, the 49ers are too reliant on their do-everything back.

McCaffrey leads San Francisco in receiving yards and has a 324-yard advantage on the 49ers’ No. 2 receiver.

That’s proof that Kyle Shanahan still leans too much on the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year.

Brian T. Smith, Senior US Sports Reporter

The 49ers appeared to create a hard divide between the team and Aiyuk by reportedly voiding the guaranteed money in his contract ($26.1m) for 2026.

But San Francisco has struggled at wide receiver all season, highlighted by the fact that running back Christian McCaffrey is the team’s leading receiver (806 yards).

Kendrick Bourne ranks second with 482 yards, while Jones — not Purdy — is the team’s leading passer with 2,151 yards.

San Francisco ranks 14th in the league in average scoring (23.6 points) but is fifth in passing (242.6), which displays the production that Jones and Purdy have combined to produce at QB, despite lacking a reliable No. 1 receiver.

49ers GM John Lynch acknowledged that it’s unlikely that Aiyuk will return before the 2025 season is complete.

“Realistic? I’m not sure,” Lynch told KNBR. “Hopeful? Yeah. So, I think that’s kind of where I’d leave that.”

Not the same since $120m contract

The No. 25 overall pick of the 2020 draft steadily improved from his rookie season through 2023, and caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns before his 2024 contract hold out.

Since his $120m deal, Aiyuk has only played in seven games and there’s a chance that the 49ers go through the entire 2025 campaign without one of their highest-paid players.

That will only make it harder on San Francisco to pass the Rams and Seahawks in the NFC West — and follow Brady’s Bucs as Super Bowl winners in the host city.

Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.