San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak spoke with reporters on Thursday as first-year players reported for rookie minicamp, which runs through Saturday. It was a chance to get an update on wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk's recovery from the serious knee injury he sustained in October.
While Aiyuk is unlikely to be ready for Week 1, the 49ers haven't ruled out the possibility of an early-season return. Encouragingly, it sounds like his rehab is going well.
"Brandon's doing great in his rehab," Kubiak said when asked about the expectations for the star receiver. "Expectations, it's kind of hard to pinpoint that. I know Brandon's working really hard. It's really hard to define those things. And I know he's doing everything he can do to give himself a chance to get back on the field.
"And I know that when we get back for camp, he's going to be working every day and just busting his butt to get ready to go. So that's all we can ask for. He's got the right mindset. We'll look forward to having him back out there."
With Aiyuk still recovering, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall will likely start at wide receiver in Week 1. According to Kubiak, Jennings always carries the mindset of being the team's top option, so the transition should be easy for the veteran, who stepped up last season after Aiyuk's injury.
"If you ask Jauan, he says 'I'm number one,'" Kubiak shared. "And that's his mindset, and that's why we love Jauan. That's how he sees himself. He sees himself as a dominant player."
Another young receiver to watch is Jacob Cowing, a fourth-round draft pick in 2024, who could carve out a larger role.
"Jake has done an outstanding job of showing up to our offseason in great shape, and he's getting better," Kubiak said.
As for Pearsall, the 2024 first-round pick could be primed for a breakout season in Year 2, especially with Aiyuk recovering and Deebo Samuel now with the Washington Commanders.
"Him and Jake, I think they trained a lot together this offseason, and they look awesome," Kubiak noted. "It's just, physically, they're out there and they're getting better every day ... We expect both of those guys to keep improving, the way they are, and to be big contributors for us."