“Breathe”

(Photo: TSN)

When you speak about the NFL, there are certain teams you can’t help but mention and the San Francisco 49ers are one of those teams. I often bring up the blue bloods of the sport and by far, the Red and Gold are one of those legendary teams with some iconic names to have played for this organization. These last few years, they’ve established themselves as one of the best teams not just in the NFC, but in the league. Switching gears, Wide Receivers have received paydays from their teams (all pun intended). Amon-Ra St. Brown kicked this all off when he got paid, and then Justin Jefferson got his money and rightfully deserved it. CeeDee Lamb and the Dallas Cowboys agreed on a contract extension. What would Brandon Aiyuk get? He’s asked for a trade and I’m sure he would’ve sat out if a deal wasn’t reached. The Niners faithful can all breathe. The team finally agreed with their star receiver on a four-year deal worth $120 million with $76 million guaranteed.

Brandon was drafted by the Niners in 2020 in the first round with the 25th overall pick out of Arizona State and since then, he’s become a vital piece of their offensive scheme. On an offense with Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, and Deebo Samuel, Brandon is their best Wide Receiver on the perimeter and he’s Brock Purdy’s number-one option vertically. He’s sneaky athletic and people don’t realize this until they pay attention and watch him. Brandon is quick off the release which gives him the edge to separate quickly to get open. He’s only six feet tall, but watching him, you’d think he was a possession receiver with how he plays. To be a successful Wide Receiver, body control is key and Brandon has that. No matter how he’s covered or where he is, he finds a way to adjust and make the catch. Even when he’s double-covered, he’s coming away with the ball. Brandon has a great ability to track the football when it’s in the air. His route running is so crisp and smooth. I feel he’s one of the underrated route runners in our league because he can stop on a dime, win his battles with the underneath route and he can win his battles deep. Another part of Brandon’s game that isn’t appreciated is his blocking. Next time you watch the 9ers and they’re running the ball, look at number 11 and how he gets in the mix to block. Not many Wide Receivers today are doing the dirty work. This guy is a hustler who gives it all on each play.

It’s a huge sigh of relief that they got this done. Brandon is just as important as the others I mentioned in the previous paragraph. In 2023, he caught 75 passes and recorded 1,342 yards receiving which is a career high. He was also second in the NFL with 17.9 yards per catch. The contractual discussions are finally in the past and now, football and trying to get over the hump and win another Lombardi should be the only focus.