A lot has been written and said about wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk's second-year "slump." Fan expectations were high for the former first-round pick, who saw early success in 2020 as a rookie, hauling in 60 passes for 748 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
The wideout had just nine receptions for 96 yards entering Week 8. He had four catches for a season-high 45 yards during Sunday's win over the Chicago Bears. Some wondered if Aiyuk was in head coach Kyle Shanahan's doghouse.
"I wouldn't call it the doghouse," quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo told Damon Bruce and Ray Ratto during a conversation on 95.7 The Game. "I think he was just finding his way, I guess you could say. His role wasn't completely defined yet. It was kind of a lengthy process, but we've gotten to a good point, and really, for B.A., it's all about just keep[ing] that thing going right now because he's on the upward trajectory. He's just got to stay with it right now."
Aiyuk reportedly had a good couple of weeks' worth of practices heading into the game in Chicago. On Monday, Shanahan praised his young receiver, saying Sunday's outing may have been Aiyuk's "best game as a blocker, as a runner, as a punt returner, and as a receiver."
While Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have mentioned a previous hamstring injury as one possible cause for the slow start, the complete reasoning behind Aiyuk's early lack of production has never been fully explained. However, there have been some hints that a lack of preparation on Aiyuk's part may have contributed, and the 49ers quarterback suggested that may have been the case.
"When you're young like that, you see some success, it's easy to let off the gas," Garoppolo said. "With B.A., he's really in a good spot right now. His foot's on the gas pedal. He's been working, putting in the extra time. It's paying off for him. I'm happy for him."
Whatever the reasons, 49ers fans are probably excited to see that Aiyuk may be turning a corner. That bodes well for a San Francisco team looking to turn a corner itself and get back into the playoff conversation.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Garoppolo below.
