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The 49ers Need Brandon Aiyuk to Step Up During McCaffrey's Absence

They recently gave him a contract extension worth $30 million per season because Aiyuk wouldn't accept any less. The idea of playing for $26 million per season was an insult to Aiyuk who sees himself as an elite wide receiver who's held back by the 49ers' run-first offensive philosophy.

Grant Cohn

Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) is introduced to the crowd before the game against the New York Jets at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) is introduced to the crowd before the game against the New York Jets at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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Last season, no one cared if Brandon Aiyuk finished a game with two catches for 28 yards. He wasn't the focual point of the offense nor was he one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the league. He was still on his rookie deal. He was an up-and-comer who didn't have to carry the offense.

Now the 49ers need Aiyuk to earn his money.

They recently gave him a contract extension worth $30 million per season because Aiyuk wouldn't accept any less. The idea of playing for $26 million per season was an insult to Aiyuk who sees himself as an elite wide receiver who's held back by the 49ers' run-first offensive philosophy.

He had a chance to prove himself right during the 49ers season opener on Monday night. Christian McCaffrey missed the game with Achilles tendonitis so no one was blocking Aiyuk from taking over the game. But he dropped two passes including one potential touchdown. He couldn't rise to the occasion.

To be fair, Aiyuk missed all of training camp, so he's not quite in football shape yet, but no one wants to hear his excuses. He held out for the most money possible because he thinks he's one of the best. So prove it. Carry the 49ers while McCaffrey is out. Catch 10 passes per game for a change.

Aiyuk is supposed to be the future of the 49ers offense, the most dagerous weapon after McCaffrey eventually retires. But in Week 1, he looked like a complementary receiver who's only dominant when McCaffrey is on the field.

Will the real Brandon Aiyuk please stand up?

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Grant Cohn

GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

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