The 49ers head coach praised the star receiver, despite the lower statistical output.
It’s safe to say that San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has been off to a slower start statistically in the 2024 season after earning a massive contract extension.
Aiyuk started 2023 with a bang, catching eight passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns in the 49ers season opener, but he has just six catches for 71 yards through two games with San Francisco thus far this year.
Following a two-catch, 28-yard game against the New York Jets in Week 1, where Aiyuk didn’t play nearly all of the offensive snaps, the star wideout saw five targets come his way in Week 2, hauling in four passes for 43 yards in the loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Still, despite the lower statistical output, Aiyuk received significant praise from head coach Kyle Shanahan for his performance in Week 2.
“I know he got a lot of attention for having that drop in the first game versus the Jets, but that was just a drop,” Shanahan said. “I know if he did that and hadn’t gone through all the contract stuff, that probably everyone would have just said it was just a drop. So, I think people look into that stuff a little too much.
“But I thought Aiyuk had a hell of a game last week. He had a number of times where he was open, did his job, but it just takes 11 guys on a play to kind of make that all work out. And that’s kind of the frustrating thing about being a wideout. But the way he ran his routes, the way he blocked, he had a hell of a game.”
Looking back at the film, Aiyuk was able to get consistently open, despite what his 2.2 yards of separation per target says, which is a good sign for San Francisco as the wideout returns back to 100 percent health.
Now, the 49ers passing game didn’t see its normal success, thanks to a tough defensive matchup with coordinator Brian Flores, who found ways to stifle quarterback Brock Purdy with a number of different looks.
But, they’ll have a chance to bounce back in Week 3, and Aiyuk will need to be a big part of that, as the 49ers are now down both Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey for at least a few weeks, while George Kittle is dealing with hamstring tightness, putting his availability for Sunday in jeopardy.
When it comes to matching his production from a year ago, Aiyuk is in a tough spot already, given the slow start, which Shanahan believes is amplified due to the way the contract negotiations became publicized.
“That’s what’s tough in sports, just with all the coverage and everything and how much money these guys do make, that when you do get all that attention and you sign a deal like that, everyone’s going to want to expect more and more and more. And the way people usually judge that is by stats, and stats doesn’t always tell the story,” Shanahan said.
“I’m just hoping [Brandon] Aiyuk can have an All-Pro season like he did last year, and he did that by just working in every single game. Sometimes the ball came to him more than others, but whenever it did, he was always ready, and that’s what led to such a good season.”
Thus far, Aiyuk has been fourth on the team in receiving, ranking behind Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Jauan Jennings, but his target share should continue to grow after getting five in Week 2, and the 49ers have a favorable matchup this upcoming weekend when they visit the banged-up Los Angeles Rams.
