Brandon Aiyuk claims he knows reason for slow start to season

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk fueled trade speculation and dominated headlines during his contentious negotiations for a contract extension.

Record-setting deals across the league kept resetting the wide receiver market as Aiyuk attempted to gain leverage for a new deal before the fifth and final year of his rookie deal. The disgruntled wideout eventually held out from the 49ers training camp and eventually requested a trade.

Ultimately, the Niners managed to agree to terms for a long-term extension with Aiyuk. Through three weeks of the 2024 season, however, the talented receiver has not provided much return on the team’s investment. 

Aiyuk has managed to catch just 11 passes for 119 receiving yards and no touchdowns through three games. When tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Deebo Samuel were sidelined with injuries in Week 3, it was Jauan Jennings — not Aiyuk — who stepped up for a monster game.

Brandon Aiyuk believes defensive coverage has led to his poor performance

Aiyuk defended his lackluster performance by pointing to a change in how opponents are attacking the Niners offense this season, per 49ers Webzone.

"[They're defending me] a little bit different," Aiyuk said. "They just know what we want to do, what we like to do, me and [quarterback Brock] Purdy, especially."

Aiyuk entered Week 3 with just six catches for 71 yards through two games this season. He had just two receptions for 28 yards on a limited snap count in Week 1 against the New York Jets. In Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings, Aiyuk recorded four catches for 43 yards. In Week 3, Aiyuk took a backseat to Jennings, who recorded three touchdowns against the Los Angeles Rams.

Purdy defended his favorite target and suggested that better days are ahead.

"Obviously, we're scheming stuff up to get him in a great position to win and get him the ball, but defenses do a good job of scheming some stuff up, and they get me off the reads, and I go to other guys,” Purdy said. “That's just part of the game. That's the nature of it. But we're going to continue to get better and watch this as well so that we can both be on the same page. But I absolutely love B.A. He's working really hard right now, and I can tell you that we're going to continue to grow together.”

So far, Aiyuk hasn’t seemed to be on the same page with quarterback Brock Purdy. Some of that is expected after the receiver missed most of the team’s offseason practices.

Aiyuk is not the first player to experience the adverse effects of an offseason hold out. Even some of the best players in the league have dealt with rust in the aftermath of a contract dispute.

Niners defensive end Nick Bosa confessed that his holdout last offseason negatively affected him “a little bit” by keeping him from being “locked in” with the usual rhythm of his game. 

Dallas Cowboys left guard Zack Martin echoed a similar sentiment during minicamp this offseason. The 34-year-old earned his ninth Pro Bowl and seventh first-team All-Pro selection in 2023, but he felt that he “came up a little bit short” of being the “dominant player” he has been throughout his career.

Aiyuk posted 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 75 catches in 2023. The 49ers were likely hoping that the budding star would continue his upward trajectory in 2024.

Aiyuk has a lot of ground to make up if he’s going to justify the monster contract extension he received this offseason.