Should the 49ers Resign Brandon Aiyuk?
Written by Vir Rawal
7/2/24
After the San Francisco 49ers' heartbreaking defeat in the Super Bowl, it was clear that the team had a quarterback, Brock Purdy, who could lead them under the bright lights of the game's biggest stage. However, questions began to arise about the supporting cast around Purdy, and which pieces are most necessary to help the team be successful in the 24-25 season. One of these players is Brandon Aiyuk, who broke out as one of the premier receivers on the 49ers and was a critical component of the team's success last season. Aiyuk was selected by the 49ers in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft and quickly became Jimmy Garropolo’s number-one target in San Francisco. With his expiring contract, the 49ers have to decide on one of the important pieces of their offense and become confident that Brock Purdy can lead the offense successfully without his most impactful receiving target. While resigning Aiyuk would be a great thing for the offense, considerations must be made about the defense as well, since Chavarious Ward, Deommodore Lenoir, and Dre Greenlaw just to name a few also have contracts that are expiring. With other top receivers expecting contracts north of 30 million dollars per year, it becomes a hard sell for Aiyuk to take his player option at only 14.1 million dollars in 2024. Is Aiyuk valuable enough to the 49ers for them to pay up, or should they look elsewhere for their top-receiving target?
In the 23-24 season, Aiyuk accounted for 75 receptions, 1342 rec yards, and 7 TDs. This was enough for Aiyuk to become Brock Purdy’s number-one target and was a critical part of the 49ers high-powered offense. Since entering the league in 2020, Aiyuk has been consistently improving year-over-year and his recent performance has truly reflected a WR1 at the pro level. Aiyuk has fit his role on the team and was indispensable to Shanahan’s passing offense. The importance of a true number-one receiver on a strong offensive team cannot be understated and allows for not only an improved passing game but an improved running game since more attention must be paid to the pass. San Francisco needs to decide whether they think Brock Purdy can be successful without a true number 1 receiving target, and if not, is Aiyuk the best option that could fit the team?
When looking at the top-paid receivers in the NFL, we can see that Aiyuk trades blows with top receivers in terms of stats despite a run-heavy Kyle Shanahan offense. His production is clearly among the best in the league at his position. Especially when you consider that he was sharing targets with arguably the best tight end and running back in the league, George Kittle, and Christian Mccaffery. There is a clear argument that Aiyuk is a top 10 receiver in the league and therefore deserves to be compensated as such, whether it is San Francisco or another team in the league. While his yards per game production might not be as high as some of the other receivers on this list, it is clear that his yard per reception and touchdown numbers solidify him as an elite receiver, and therefore he should be compensated as one.
