The San Francisco 49ers faced a tough start to the season, losing star RB Christian McCaffrey alongside LB Dre Greenlaw and DT Javon Hargrave before the opener due to injuries.
The Niners also fell short in back-to-back matchups against the Vikings and Rams, and the fans directed the arrows of blame to none other than Niners’ WR Brandon Aiyuk, who was allegedly responsible for the slow start.
Aiyuk had quite the offseason himself, mostly dramatic in pursuit of a favorable contract extension with the organization. While Aiyuk was in the negotiation process, he did not participate in any team activities — including most of the team practices — and requested a trade. Fans believe that Aiyuk’s slow start is a consequence of the lack of chemistry between Aiyuk and his teammates. Aiyuk returned to the Niners’ squad only 11 days before the regular season kicked off after he was able to reach a four-year, $120M extension that guaranteed him $76M.
Lackluster Start
In the first five games of the season, Aiyuk has recorded unpromising statistics: 21 catches for 314 yards and no touchdowns.
This puts Aiyuk on pace to end the season with around 900 yards, which falls significantly under his career-best of 1,342 yards – a record he set last season with the Niners. The numbers right now make it look like Brock Purdy’s favorite target is WR Jauan Jennings, who’s had 22 catches for 377 yards and three touchdowns through his first four weeks.
However, San Francisco General Manager John Lynch remained supportive of his player. “Just keep watching, he’s just getting going,” Lynch commented during an interview with KNBR’s Murph & Markus. This held true in Aiyuk’s week five performance, where he totaled eight receptions for 147 yards, equalling his production from the previous four weeks COMBINED. Lynch also noted that the statistics merely represent Aiyuk’s contribution to the team, noting “Brandon, so many of the things he does don’t show up on a stat sheet. It’s the way he blocks, it’s the effect he has on the game.”
Aiyuk also evaluated his performance, describing it as “solid.” When addressed about his lower-achieving statistics, Aiyuk said “That’s just football,” discussing how the ball hasn’t consistently come his way. “That’s just the receiver position. Sometimes it comes your way, sometimes it doesn’t. But you’ve just gotta keep working and try to get some momentum.
Building momentum
With confidence from Lynch, as well as himself, that momentum could arrive sooner rather than later. Tonight, the 49ers are set to play the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. This is a critical game for Aiyuk to build on last week’s momentum. Another breakout game will not only re-establish his prominence as the Niners’ top wideout but also revitalize the Niners’ offense, which has been relatively stagnant, with the loss of McCaffrey.
Although Niners’ fans may be underwhelmed with Aiyuk’s slower start following a record-breaking season, ultimately, the question isn’t about IF Aiyuk will make his return to dominance, but WHEN he will do so. The WR is still 26 and fresh off a contract extension.
There is unbound potential that Aiyuk will develop into a solid contributor to the 49ers’ offense considering his impending development and the impact he makes beyond the stat sheet. As Aiyuk gets more reps under Kyle Shanahan’s offense (which is heavily reliant on short receptions and quick slanting pass routes) he will show massive improvement as the season progresses.
Furthermore, there is still practice time remaining for him to build more chemistry with his teammates. As he reintroduces himself to the system and his teammates, Aiyuk’s production will soon reflect the investment the Niners made in him.
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