The San Francisco 49ers have one of the most talented, if not the most talented roster in the NFL, and a number of their key players are still young and on the upswing.
One such player is wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who will be entering his fourth pro season this fall.
He made a bold declaration, per David Lombardi, that as good as he has been already, he’s “about to take off.”
Brandon Aiyuk: “I’m about to take off.”
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) May 31, 2023
Aiyuk was the No. 25 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, and he was traded to the Niners on draft day.
At the time, the Niners had recently lost Super Bowl LIV to the Kansas City Chiefs, and they needed another legitimate threat in their passing game, and he would quickly prove to be just that.
He had 60 catches, 748 yards, and five touchdowns as a rookie and 826 yards plus five touchdowns in 2021.
Last season, Aiyuk seemingly reached another level by surpassing the 1,000-yard mark for the first time while scoring eight touchdowns.
With fellow wideout Deebo Samuel having a down year in 2022, Aiyuk became San Francisco’s No. 1 threat at wide receiver.
Some feel that in the near future, the team may have to choose between keeping either Samuel or Aiyuk, as Samuel and linebacker Fred Warner have extensions that will take effect soon and defensive end Nick Bosa is owed a big extension.
But either way, the 49ers’ passing offense has grown tremendously since they made the Super Bowl, and Aiyuk’s development has been a big reason why.
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