Is 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk On the Verge of a Down Season?
![Dec 10, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) fumbles the ball in front of Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) in the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports Dec 10, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) fumbles the ball in front of Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) in the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4488,h_2524,x_0,y_168/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_49ers/01j2f379ykpk28xj674d.jpg)
Brandon Aiyuk is coming off the first Pro Bowl season of his career. Can he replicate it, or is he on the verge of a down season?
Aiyuk certainly is an outstanding wide receiver and one of the best route runners in the NFL as well as an exceptional blocker. But last season may have been an outlier for Aiyuk. He averaged a whopping 17.9 yards per catch, which nearly led the entire NFL. A very impressive statistic. But the previous season, he averaged just 13.0 yards per catch. And the season before that, he averaged 14.8 yards per catch.
So it's likely Aiyuk will have a statistical regression this season. He probably won't catch more than 75 passes because the 49ers run the ball so much, and he probably will average fewer than 17.9 yards per catch.
In addition, he skipped OTAs and minicamp and might skip training camp and preseason too unless the 49ers extend his contract soon. And if he misses an entire offseason, it seems highly unlikely that he will replicate his career-best performance from last season when he missed zero offseason practices.
That's why the 49ers would be wise to wait before giving Aiyuk an extension. Make him prove that 2023 wasn't an aberration. Make him show that he can be a Pro Bowler even without a full offseason. Before if he misses the Pro Bowl, he'll be seen as a one-hit wonder and his price tag will go down.
Not a great start to the year for Aiyuk.