Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Zachariah Branch

Monday, September 21, 8:22 AM

When asked if wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is an option amidst all of the team's injuries at the receiver position, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said, "No," according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Going into the Week 2 game against the Miami Dolphins, the 49ers had already lost receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) for the entire season and rookie second-rounder De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle) for around 10 weeks. In Sunday's blowout victory over Miami, veteran Mike Evans left with a hip injury, and Demarcus Robinson suffered what is believed to be a high-ankle sprain. Still, Aiyuk, who missed all of last year after having surgery to fix a torn ACL and MCL in his knee, remains on the left-team list and is not an option to play for the organization going forward. The former first-rounder is likely healthy enough to play, but they have moved on from Aiyuk after he failed to attend mandatory rehab sessions and meetings last year. Aiyuk must formally apply for reinstatement with the NFL to force a release from the Niners, which does not appear to be happening anytime soon. Evans is expected to be fine, but with Robinson likely missing around a month, Jacob Cowing, KhaDarel Hodge, and Jordan Watskins will be asked to step up behind Evans and Deebo Samuel Sr. moving forward.