San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) - AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
With all the injuries on the San Francisco 49ers, it is time for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to step up. Aiyuk is a strong player, but he has had a slow start to the 2024 season. The 49ers will be without both Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey for at least two weeks. Now is the time for Aiyuk to be that guy for the 49ers.
Brandon Aiyuk and His Slow Start
As a reminder, Aiyuk was doing a hold-in with the 49ers. He was at the facilities but not practicing with the team over the summer. Aiyuk then earned an extension on August 29th. It is a four-year contract extension worth $120 million. Now is the time for him to show he is worth the money.
There is no denying that in the first two games of the season, Aiyuk has not been the kind of receiver fans and the team know he can be. It has just been a slow start. This is what not practicing with the team tends to do to players. In the first week, against the New York Jets, Aiyuk had two receptions for 28 yards, according to ESPN. When he caught the ball, he did well. The issue is he was targeted five times. One missed catch was in the endzone and he normally is a player to make the reception there.
There was an improvement with Aiyuk against the Minnesota Vikings. He had four receptions for 43 yards, his longest reception being for 22 yards, according to ESPN. He was targeted five times in the game, so only missing one is a step in the right direction. Aiyuk may be having a slow start, but he is working towards being that player who earned his contract extension. Now, it is just time to prove he earned it.
Can Brandon Aiyuk Do It?
The simple answer to this question is yes. Aiyuk is one of the best route runners, which is why he is always open. Aiyuk knows with McCaffrey and Samuel out he will have to step up more. Whether he did the hold-in or not he would have to step up even more without them on the field. So can Aiyuk be that guy this weekend, and moving forward?
Given the improvement between weeks one and two, Aiyuk may have a big game this weekend. The key will be for Aiyuk to do what he does best and get open.
Now, the 49ers will have to make sure quarterback Brock Purdy is not under as much pressure as he was against the Vikings. Of course, it is a team game and Aiyuk cannot do everything. There are issues from the Vikings loss that need to be fixed that Aiyuk does not have control of.
If Aiyuk simply does his job and gets open for Purdy, that will highly benefit the team, and even help open up the offense when McCaffrey and Samuel do return.
Not All on Aiyuk
Although it is time for Aiyuk to step up, the pressure is not on just him. The 49ers also have George Kittle, Kyle Juszczyk, and Jauan Jennings. These are just a couple of the guys for Purdy to throw to. There is still the run game with Jordan Mason. The offense needs to protect Purdy better but can get going. The defense has been playing very well, just need to do better stopping the explosive passes. So no, this is not Aiyuk’s job to win the games by himself, but it is time for him to show out on this 49ers offense.
The San Francisco 49ers will next face the Los Angeles Rams, an NFC West opponent, but also another team dealing with numerous injuries.
