Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has kept answers to reporters' questions short since the start of the season, perhaps due to his underwhelming performances through three games and the San Francisco 49ers' back-to-back losses. After a prolonged contract standoff with the 49ers, Aiyuk has caught only 11 passes for 119 yards and has yet to score a touchdown this season.
Analyst Brian Baldinger recently critiqued Aiyuk, saying, "He looks pedestrian, and he's playing like he's pedestrian. You don't see the moves to separate. He just doesn't seem like the same person. He doesn't have any sort of swag about him at all right now. He just seems like a guy out there."
Despite the criticism, Aiyuk insists he's determined to regain his form and help his team rebound from their recent struggles. Fans are eager for him to step up, especially with key playmakers like running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Deebo Samuel expected to continue missing time.
When asked how the offense would compensate for the absence of two stars, Aiyuk responded, "Just keep working, keep working, keep building."
Opposing teams are seemingly defending Aiyuk differently this season compared to 2023 when he had a breakout year with 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 75 catches.
"[They're defending me] a little bit different," Aiyuk acknowledged. "They just know what we want to do, what we like to do, me and [QB Brock] Purdy, especially."
After Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Brock Purdy admitted that he and Brandon Aiyuk are still working to get on the same page after not practicing together during the offseason.
"Obviously, we're scheming stuff up to get him in a great position to win and get him the ball," Purdy said, "but defenses do a good job of scheming some stuff up, and they get me off the reads, and I go to other guys. That's just part of the game. That's the nature of it.
"But we're going to continue to get better and watch this as well so that we can both be on the same page. But I absolutely love B.A. He's working really hard right now, and I can tell you that we're going to continue to grow together."
When asked how he and Purdy plan to work through the defensive adjustments they are seeing, Aiyuk responded, "Practice today, trying to get in different spots, getting different looks. Yeah, working through that today."
Aiyuk admits the pressure to perform after signing his four-year, $120 million contract extension feels different from previous seasons. With several key players still sidelined, Aiyuk's ability to step up will be critical to the 49ers' success in the coming weeks.