SANTA CLARA — Brandon Aiyuk did not catch a single pass from Brock Purdy during the wide receiver's lengthy “hold-in” while awaiting a contract extension.
Now that the second-team All-Pro has signed his four-year, $120 contract extension, the two offensive stars have put in extra time after practice to rebuild the chemistry they showed in 2023.
That extra work is fueling coach Kyle Shanahan's positive outlook on the situation.
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“They've been great,” Shanahan said on Saturday. “They started throwing together, Saturday was their first time they came up here alone and just did it. And they've had, I think they did it Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and today. So they haven't missed a beat.”
It will be a challenge for Aiyuk to match his career-high performance of 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdown receptions after missing the entire offseason program, but the the extra work will help.
“[Aiyuk] will get back in the flow of things,” Shanahan said. “Putting a lot on a guy, just to expect him to be exactly same way. But he does look that way in practice and he'll get better each week.”
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Even though Aiyuk’s hiatus lasted several months, the wideout was an active participant in the classroom during meetings. The Arizona State product also went through mental reps while watching practice from the sidelines.
Still, Shanahan will make sure to refrain from putting a heavy workload on Aiyuk in his first game action since Super Bowl LVIII.
If the chemistry between Purdy and Aiyuk quickly is on display, however, Shanahan has been known to go with the "hot hand."
“I think he plays most of the game, usually, and I’d probably be surprised with that same amount,” Shanahan said. “But he's in good shape. He's had a really good week. His soreness hasn't been too big after each practice. He's pushed it real hard, done some stuff extra after. He looks good and he is ready to go.”
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