by Brandon Aiyuk is an excellent wide receiver who stays in top shape all year long.
But he hasn’t practiced once this offseason. And it’s possible he won’t practice at all before the season opener – Nick Bosa didn’t do that last year. He signed his contract extension just four days before the season started. And as a result, he had a poor season by his standards.
Will Brandon Aiyuk suffer a similar fate this season?
Let’s assume Aiyuk signs a contract extension soon and plays against the Jets in Week 1. Can we expect similar numbers from him as last season?
I wouldn’t do it.
Last season was an outlier for Aiyuk, who averaged a whopping 17.9 yards per pass on 105 attempts. I don’t think he can repeat those numbers without taking a full offseason to prepare.
Consider that Aiyuk was averaging 13.3 yards per catch for his career entering last season. But in a contract year, his yards per catch average increased by more than four yards per catch. And that was after an entire offseason.
This offseason, the 49ers had to build their offense without Aiyuk. That means they used Deebo Samuel and George Kittle in the passing game more than usual during training camp. When Aiyuk returns, he will still be a key part of the passing offense, but he might not be the No. 1 target. Instead, he might be targeted one or two less times per game than last season while Kyle Shanahan rewards Samuel and Kittle for showing up and practicing this offseason.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Aiyuk doesn’t reach 1,000 receiving yards this season.
No wonder he wants to cash in now. His value will probably never be higher.
