- Injuries continue to be a major storyline during the 2024-2025 NFL season.
- San Francisco receiver Brandon Aiyuk is out for the season after tearing his ACL and MCL in his knee, and Deebo Samuel has pneumonia.
- Tampa Bay also lost two receivers as Chris Godwin dislocated his ankle, and Mike Evans hurt his hamstring.
The NFL is a tough league, and much of the time, the teams that are the healthiest are the ones that progress through the season. NFL Week 7 action was no exception, as there were more injuries, specifically at the wide-receiver position.
The San Francisco 49ers have battled injuries all season, and will add another big name to the list. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay are down two starting receivers going into Week 8 of the NFL.
Aiyuk Out for Season, Adding to San Francisco Injury Woes
Brandon Aiyuk held out over a contract dispute to start the season. However, he wound up signing a contract for $120 million over four years, including $76 million in guaranteed money. That turned out to be a great move by Aiyuk, whose season ended on Sunday. The fifth-year wideout tore his ACL and MCL ligaments in the 49ers’ 28-18 loss to Kansas City in a Super Bowl rematch.
Aiyuk had 25 catches for 374 yards through seven games this season, and didn’t score a touchdown. He was slated for a bigger role in the 49ers’ offense, as Deebo Samuel tried to play against Kansas City. However, an illness kept him on the sidelines. It is revealed that Samuel actually has pneumonia, and there is no timetable for his return.
The 49ers had already been missing receiver Jauan Jennings due to a hip injury, and tight end George Kittle has a sprained foot. That’s not even considering star running back Christian McCaffrey, who hasn’t played yet this season because of an ailing Achilles.
As was shown above, the 49ers are sliding down the Super Bowl 59 odds. They’re 3-4 on the season, and have a massive Sunday Night Football game coming up against a struggling Dallas team. The 49ers have a bye following that week, and hopefully, they can get through the Cowboys’ game without any more injuries.
Bucs Lose Godwin, Evans to Injury
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also fighting the injury bug, as they lost 41-31 at home to Baltimore on Monday Night Football. The Tampa Bay offense just couldn’t keep up with Baltimore’s unit, and now things are going to get worse.
Receiver Chris Godwin dislocated his ankle in a gruesome injury, and is likely out for the season. Head coach Todd Bowles is taking heat today as Godwin was injured with about a minute left in the game, and the Bucs were down by 10 points. Many feel that Godwin shouldn’t have been in the game at that point.
Fellow wideout Mike Evans had already exited the game in the second quarter as he aggravated a hamstring problem. Evans had already missed some practice during the week due to the injury, and had caught a 25-yard touchdown pass, which was the 100th touchdown reception of his career. However, he’ll likely be on the sideline for some amount of time now.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield is now without his favorite targets. He has 18 touchdowns on the season, and 11 of those have gone to Godwin and Evans. The rest of the Bucs’ offense has to step up, but it’s going to be difficult to make up for their production.
