Brandon Aiyuk promised he would "take off" in his fourth NFL season, and so far, he's kept his word.
The 49ers wide receiver had an exceptional performance in San Francisco's season-opening blowout win Sunday at the Pittsburgh Steelers, catching all eight of his passes for 129 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Aiyuk was a big part of San Francisco's offense last season, but he has bigger goals for himself in 2023. He worked tirelessly all summer to improve his overall game, but 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan pinpointed the one area he most noticeably sees a difference.
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“More consistent," Shanahan said Monday in a conference call with reporters. "I thought he came a long way last year in that, as the year went, I think that's why he ended up leading our team in receiving [in 2022] and he's carried that into the offseason. Didn't know if he was going to get all those opportunities going to the game. You never know how it's going to play out, but he got eight opportunities and he came down with all eight of them. That doesn't always mean you get more. Sometimes that means you get more attention and they take it away, which helps out other people. So, you never know which direction it's going to go each week.
"But the coolest thing about B.A. is how ready he came to play regardless. You see him on some of those run plays and stuff and from the beginning to the end. And usually, when he is like that in the run game, it carries over to the pass game. The pass game's just a little more out of your control, but yesterday it all fell to him and he was ready for the moment and had a big-time game."
Aside from the production and success Aiyuk had with the ball in his hand on Sunday, the 25-year-old made plays away from the ball, too.
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Christian McCaffrey's electric 65-yard touchdown might not have happened without the punishing blocks downfield from both Aiyuk and 49ers receiver/returner Ray-Ray McCloud.
"It was huge," Shanahan said. "I mean, him and Ray-Ray McCloud are-- it was an unbelievable run starting on the inside. Our guards and our center and our back, really just our four versus their four up the middle, those guys did awesome.
"But then when it gets on the edge and you want to get touchdowns, that usually has to do with the receivers blocking and both of those guys, starting with B.A. and then to Ray-Ray to finish, that was as good of a clip as you could have to kind of show how important every play is to us, despite what type of play it is."
McCaffrey, too, credited the team effort to get the job done and knows it makes his job a lot easier with guys like Aiyuk and McCloud on his side.
With so many elite offensive options, the 49ers make each other better and are willing to do what it takes to walk away with a win. That mentality and togetherness will be pivotal to how the rest of the season pans out for Aiyuk -- and the rest of the team.
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