49ers' Brandon Aiyuk displays why he's the ideal Kyle Shanahan receiver in season-opening showcase
Despite recording his first 1,000-yard season in 2022, Brandon Aiyuk's name has rarely been mentioned in the same circles as two of his fellow wide receivers from the same stellar 2020 wide receiver draft class, Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb. That may finally start to change after Aiyuk starred in the 49ers' season-opening rout of […]
Despite recording his first 1,000-yard season in 2022, Brandon Aiyuk's name has rarely been mentioned in the same circles as two of his fellow wide receivers from the same stellar 2020 wide receiver draft class, Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb.
That may finally start to change after Aiyuk starred in the 49ers' season-opening rout of the Steelers, though you won't hear the San Francisco wideout complaining about a lack of recognition.
"I don't really care too much about respect no more, I just come out here and do my job," Aiyuk said after the 49ers stomped the Steelers 30-7 on the road in Week 1.
Only a couple of receivers can claim to have done their job better than Aiyuk through Sunday's slate of openers, the former first-round pick delivering a performance that served as an illustration of why he deserves to be regarded as one of the best players in the league at his position.
Eight for Eight
Aiyuk caught all eight of the targets that came his way against Pittsburgh, racking up 129 yards and two touchdowns. Tyreek Hill (215 yards, 2 TDs) and Jefferson (150 yards) were the only players with more receiving yards in Week 1 as of Sunday.
"A lot, as much as I do all of our guys," Kyle Shanahan said when asked bow much confidence he has in Aiyuk.
"We've got some pretty good eligibles. You don't go in thinking it's all going to be Aiyuk like it was today, you go in pretty balanced. Just me looking at the stats right before I came in, any time you throw at someone eight times and all eight are completions, that means you're doing some real good stuff."
Beyond the reliability he displayed in hauling in all of his targets from Purdy, with whom he shares a rapport that continues to blossom, Aiyuk demonstrated his well-rounded skill set on both of his touchdowns and with the role he played on Christian McCaffrey's long touchdown run.
A complete Shanahan receiver
Aiyuk's first touchdown grab saw him send Patrick Peterson to the turf with a tremendous route, chopping his feet and selling an outside break with a jab step before bursting back inside into wide open space in the endzone.
His second saw him display his contested catch ability. Aiyuk wasn't able to create separation on a deep route down the sideline, but he beat Peterson in the battle for a perfectly placed back shoulder throw from Purdy, whose trust in the former Arizona State star was constructed down the stretch as he emerged as one of the quarterback's top red zone targets.
Yet perhaps Aiyuk's most impressive play was his outstanding downfield block that sprung McCaffrey for the sixth Week 1 rushing touchdown of his career. Aiyuk decleated Steelers defensive back Damontae Kazee and, with similarly committed help from Ray-Ray McCloud, gave McCaffrey a clear path to the endzone.
Having seemingly been stuck in Shanahan's doghouse at the start of the 2021 season, Aiyuk has developed into the ideal X receiver in the 49er offense, one who can defeat coverage with his route-running, excels on timing routes that are a staple of the attack, can win physical battles and, perhaps most importantly, puts substantial effort into the blocking game.
Aiyuk's prominence as the focal point of the passing game against Pittsburgh is a far cry from the season-opening win over the Lions in 2021, when he did not receive a single target.
"Two years ago in Detroit, that was a long time ago, that was a different time. Yeah, that was a very different time," Aiyuk said when asked about the contrast between then and now.
Times certainly have changed, and it's high time for Aiyuk to get the widespread respect he deserves, even if he doesn't care about it.
Shock NFC West result should help 49ers guard against Week 2 complacency
It was a reminder not to take them lightly.
Featured Image Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
