Brandon Aiyuk has Outgrown his Role in the 49ers Offense
Brandon Aiyuk has emerged as one of the top wide receivers in the NFL this season, and yet the 49ers still treat him like he's an afterthought.
They gave him four targets on Thanksgiving. And two weeks ago, they gave him only three. And they won both games, so no one cares about Aiyuk's targets. But the 49ers have thrown him double-digit passes in a game only once this season. That's odd.
Let's compare Aiyuk to other elite wide receivers and how their teams use them.
Three wide receivers currently have at least 45 catches and a passer rating of at least 124 when targeted: Aiyuk, Tyreek Hill and CeeDee Lamb, three of the best wide receivers in football. But Hill has 88 catches, Lamb has 78 and Aiyuk has just 45, and that's because Hill has 120 targets, Lamb has 104 targets and Aiyuk has just 65.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel understands he has a responsibility to his team to get the ball to Hill as much as possible because he's one of the premier gamebreakers in the NFL. Hill has had double-digits targets 8 times this season. Imagine what Aiyuk's numbers would be if he had 120 targets right now, or if he played for the Dolphins.
Aiyuk has earned more targets -- he's a premier gamebreaker, too. He's averaging 19.6 yards per catch. And any time a starting wide receiver has a passer rating above 120 when targeted, he needs more opportunities to catch the ball.
When will the 49ers figure this out?
