49ers rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk returns to practice

The 49ers’ banged-up receiving corps was given some good news on Thursday when rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk returned to practice after missing time with a hamstring strain.

Aiyuk, the recent 25th overall pick in the draft, appeared to tweak his left hamstring during a full-team drill Aug. 23 while running a deep route. It’s unclear if he’ll be available to play on Sunday in the season opener against the Arizona Cardinals, but being officially tabbed a limited participant in practice is a step in the right direction.

San Francisco is expecting to rely heavily on Aiyuk throughout 2020 after losing last season’s top receiver, Emmanuel Sanders, in free agency to the New Orleans Saints. The team is also dealing with a foot injury to promising second-year pro, Deebo Samuel, who suffered a Jones fracture in his foot in June.

Samuel missed practice for a second straight day on Thursday and his chances for playing Sunday appear increasingly slim after missing all of training camp. The other players listed on Thursday’s injury report were center Ben Garland (limited, ankle) and cornerback Jason Verrett (hamstring, did not participate).

This story was originally published September 10, 2020 at 4:26 PM.