The San Francisco 49ers took a significant hit with the season-ending loss of star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who suffered torn ACL and MCL injuries on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Adding to the challenge, Jauan Jennings was sidelined for that game with a hip injury and isn't expected to play against the Dallas Cowboys this weekend.
"Expect to get him back after the bye week," head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Thursday. "Haven't ruled him out yet for this week, but definitely would say he's doubtful. But I'd be surprised if he won't be back after the bye week."
Deebo Samuel, another key offensive weapon, isn't at full strength either. The versatile playmaker was hospitalized this week with pneumonia, leaving the 49ers' receiving corps even thinner. These setbacks have made many wonder if general manager John Lynch might seek a trade to bolster the position. However, Lynch doesn't feel immediate pressure to make a move in response to the current injuries.
"The ideal situation was to play all these guys together (with Aiyuk before his injury)," Lynch said Friday morning on Bay Area radio station KNBR. "But [WR] Ricky [Pearsall] came back, and Ricky, I think, had a good debut. I think he kind of, as the game went on, that was nice to see, and we all know what he's been through.
"We saw [WR Jacob] Cowing make some contributions. [WR] Chris Conley is just a very dependable, trusted guy."
Lynch admitted to being surprised by Samuel's health setback. The receiver managed only four snaps before exiting due to breathing difficulties from the illness.
"Right before the game, somebody came up to me and said, 'Where's Deebo?'" Lynch shared. "And I said, 'Wow, I haven't been told anything. What's going on?' And next thing you know, a trainer's running out saying, 'Hey, he's struggling to breathe.' And we all know what became of that.
"So, Sunday, it didn't look great, but Jauan is kind of doubtful with his [injury] again this week. And so, for this week, it's not going to be ideal, but we think with Jauan, Deebo, Ricky, Jake, Chris, that group, Ronnie Bell, we've got enough there, and we'll see.
"We always—I think our track record has shown we're always going to field calls. We're always going to make calls, see what's out there, and if we can improve our team, we will. But I do like this group."
Shanahan was noncommittal when asked if Aiyuk's injury might push the 49ers to explore a trade for a veteran wide receiver.
"I wouldn't say that specifically," Shanahan responded. "I mean, we look into every situation to see if it can help us at every position. It's a lot harder to do than people realize. People aren't into giving up players that can really help you.
"If they can really help you, and for some reason, they're in a situation [where they want] to give him up, it's rarely gonna not hurt you at some time, most likely the next year and in the future."
The 49ers currently have 10 players on injured reserve, with Aiyuk the most recent addition. Unlike Aiyuk, some are expected to return later this season, which Lynch believes could give the team the boost needed for another playoff run.
"When I look at our trade deadline, I look at our IR list, and I say, [RB Christian] McCaffrey, [LB Dre] Greenlaw, [DE Yetur] Gross-Matos, [S Talanoa] Hufanga, if we can get those guys back, I think that's the boost we need as much as anybody we're going to bring in from the outside," Lynch explained.
"So we've got a good group of players, and hopefully, we can start getting some of these guys back while we remain healthy. And the most important thing this week is to go find a way to beat the Cowboys."
You can listen to Lynch's entire interview below.
