{"id":306594,"date":"2025-08-21T18:57:12","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T18:57:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/306594\/"},"modified":"2025-08-21T18:57:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T18:57:12","slug":"49ers-news-john-lynch-shares-why-hes-optimistic-about-the-wide-receiver-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/306594\/","title":{"rendered":"49ers news: John Lynch shares why he\u2019s optimistic about the wide receiver room"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s never a dull moment at 4949 Marie P. DeBartolo Way. The San Francisco 49ers have been a staple on the transaction wire during August. Unfortunately, it\u2019s not for the reasons the team wants. Injuries are mounting. The Niners have churned the bottom of their roster unlike any team in the NFL during the preseason.<\/p>\n

General manager John Lynch is an optimist. He joined KNBR Thursday morning to provide injury updates, timelines for potential returns, and the status of the 49ers\u2019 wide receiver room. Let\u2019s start with the team\u2019s highest-paid player in the wide receiver room, Brandon Aiyuk.<\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, Lynch said, \u201cI think we feel comfortable saying he\u2019s not going to be there Week 1, and then, it will probably be some time after that.\u201d It was always far-fetched that Aiyuk would be ready by Week 1, especially after suffering ACL and MCL tears, along with other damage to his knee.<\/p>\n

Now that we know it\u2019s all but official that Aiyuk will begin the season on the PUP list and miss the first four games, the schedule sets up for the 49ers star wideout to return in Week 6, not Week 5. San Francisco travels to Los Angeles to face the Rams on Thursday night in Week 5.<\/p>\n

A mini-bye week will be followed by a trip across country to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers. If Aiyuk\u2019s rehab continues to go well, and Lynch said, \u201cHe\u2019s recovered well,\u201d then Week 6 becomes more realistic for Aiyuk.<\/p>\n

Lynch didn\u2019t want to put firm dates on Aiyuk\u2019s return: \u201cI\u2019m not going to put exact timelines, but hopefully, sometime in this season, he\u2019s playing the type of football we know, when he\u2019s out there, that he is expected to, and expects himself to play at. And it\u2019ll be a big boost to our team.\u201d<\/p>\n

ESPN\u2019s Adam Schefter reported that wide receiver Russell Gage would miss a little over a week<\/a> on Thursday morning. Lynch revealed when Gage\u2019s MCL sprain occurred:<\/p>\n

That\u2019s one of those ones, we were out at practice, we were doing 1-on-1s, and at first, I thought he had his ankle. It looked like it buckled. I think, given what I saw on the field — Russell\u2019s been having a really good camp — and I was standing with Kyle [Shanahan] right when it happened, and we just said, \u2018Oh, no,\u2019 because it looked like his leg buckled.<\/p>\n

So, I think a slight MCL sprain was actually welcome news. He will miss some time. We expect him to be ready for our opener, and I think that was somewhat — it\u2019s not ideal — but it\u2019s better than the alternative with what we saw. But he\u2019s working through that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Demarcus Robinson\u2019s suspension<\/p>\n

Lynch didn\u2019t have much of an update about Robinson\u2019s suspension. He\u2019ll miss three games. Based on how Robinson looked during the preseason, he should be one of Brock Purdy\u2019s go-to targets. Robinson looked extremely comfortable in Shanahan\u2019s offense. It was a promising sign.<\/p>\n

Lynch said, \u201cWe\u2019ll be respectful of that, and when the league makes their final determination, everybody will know right along with us. I think we\u2019re at the stage of it, and you guys will know when we will know.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 49ers don\u2019t sound like they\u2019re expecting to win Robinson\u2019s appeal and are likely preparing to play the first three games without him, which is why these other injuries at wide receiver hurt.<\/p>\n

Lynch looks at the bright side<\/p>\n

Hearing Lynch talk about how many injuries the 49ers have in the receiver room is somewhat surreal, even though we know it\u2019s accurate:<\/p>\n

With Aiyuk being on PUP, we started with 13 guys. And now, we\u2019re down to — at one point yesterday, I think we had seven out there.<\/p>\n

Lynch believes the deceleration and all of the running the wide receivers do is tough on their bodies, and the team is trying to account for that. But you can\u2019t put everybody in bubble wrap. Lynch said, \u201cThere is a way to keep guys healthy, and that\u2019s to do nothing. But we want to get better. We\u2019ll have enough guys come Week 1 to put a formidable group out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was \u201ccoach speak\u201d during Lynch\u2019s interview. He had phrases like \u201cWe like our players\u201d and \u201cWe like our group of guys.\u201d That group could include Robbie Chosen:<\/p>\n

Robbie\u2019s done a nice job, been a welcome surprise. He can still get it. He can still run. The beauty today — we never had it — but these guys wear GPS things on their back, and after every practice, he\u2019ll clock some of the highest speeds we have out here. And he\u2019s starting to make some plays. We all saw it at the end of the Raiders game, but we see it out here at practice. As long as he continues to do that, there\u2019s a place for him.<\/p>\n

Lynch didn\u2019t have any panic in his voice: \u201cNow, we\u2019ve got to keep the guys who we have healthy. We\u2019ve got to find a way to get from here to there. But that\u2019s what our calling is. That\u2019s what our job is. So, we\u2019ll do it, and we\u2019ll figure out a way, and we\u2019re going to be all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

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