Brandon Aiyuk: Now that he and the 49ers are back together, here’s why he’s so special in their plan

The San Francisco 49ers, who are dealing with a current and future salary cap situation involving much of their current core, including the potential mega-deal for quarterback Brock Purdy, gave star forward Brandon Aiyuk the opportunity to test the market.

Ultimately, Aiyuk and the 49ers agreed to a four-year, $120 million contract extension, with $76 million of that amount guaranteed.

After a second All-Pro nod, Aiyuk reportedly had a big market. But what makes him worthy of a prize that pays more than $30 million annually?

Why Brandon Aiyuk is so effective for the 49ers

Brandon Aiyuk just moves differently. That’s not to say he’s faster than anyone else, because he’s not, but Aiyuk’s body control and flexibility are remarkable. His ability to pop and burst in and out of his routes, leap forward on his route break like Indiana Jones spelling “Jehovah,” and freeze bewildered cornerbacks:

And he moves at angles that a large portion of players in the league can’t even imagine, spreading his legs as if he’s going to perform a crossover dribble, but seemingly losing little speed as he blazes past defenders who have an advantageous influence on him:

Aiyuk has not only blossomed into a valuable pass catcher who can consistently win against man coverage, but also a more complete receiver and football player in general. Aiyuk’s traits jump out at you right away, but he’s really starting to get a feel for the position. His disco-esque route-running style isn’t empty calories. As you can see in the clips above, Aiyuk’s ability to burst in and out of his motions makes defenders uncomfortable, and he’s started to gel as an isolation receiver who can thrive on the ball and against pressure, while also showing more detail for the position that makes him a consistent link in the chain of progression.

Aiyuk’s route-running has become more nuanced, his chaotic moves refined and focused by head coach Kyle Shanahan (a long-underrated receiver coach) and the 49ers’ coaching staff. The mustang-like route-running of his early career is still as wild as ever, but now it morphs into the rhythm of the offense.

Aiyuk’s box score stats of 1,342 yards came at a solid 17.9-yards-per-reception clip, but those routes weren’t just shot plays down the field. He’s an absolute machine on out-breaking routes, taking advantage of — while also harnessing — the tight splits found in this offense. It creates winning plays, first downs and explosive plays at a dizzying pace.

That motion, route and catch adjustment translates to any offense. And it’s a far cry from what Aiyuk had to do early in his career. (He actually had 11 rushes for 94 yards and two touchdowns in his first two seasons — followed by two total carries, both in 2022, over the past two.) His route-running has been pushed down more in inverse proportion to his actual skill level. He can win while operating at all three levels and in both directions, and is a strong tracker of the football down the field. His body control and hand-eye coordination show up on both long throws and running after the catch, plus his size and feel show up against zone over the middle.

His average depth of target increased from 9.8 yards in 2021 to 13.8 yards in 2023, with Aiyuk’s yards before the catch increasing from 8.6 yards in 2021 to 12.8 in 2023. To further put Aiyuk’s emergence as a true outside receiver who can win downfield and in isolation into perspective, in 2022, Aiyuk had 78 receptions for 1,015 yards, including 627 yards before the catch and 388 after; in 2023, he had fewer receptions (75) but 1,342 yards, including 960 yards before the catch and 382 after. This incredible leap in efficiency resulted in Aiyuk passing the elite 3-yards-per-route threshold and being at or near the top of metrics like first downs (divided by whatever you like) and EPA (albeit at a lower usage rate; more on that later).

The 49ers offense has been popularized as “positionless” due to the starring roles of Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and Kyle Juszczyk. Aiyuk used to be a member of that contingent, because while he can still be a threat on manufactured touches, he’s transformed into a true outside receiver who can win while performing the more difficult tasks such as winning against pressure, leverage and while not in a moving position.

He’s also, as a result of a few visits to Shanahan’s doghouse and his maturation as a player, become a solid blocker at the position. A believer in the “we all eat” philosophy of the 49ers’ team-first offensive attack, he opens up paths in the run game and for his teammates on the perimeter. Even on assignments away from the point of attack or down the field late in plays, common situations when most receivers fly off, you could see Aiyuk flying into the dirt to dig up his assignment or chopping his feet as he completed his block on a defensive back.

That being said, it would be a bit It’s scary to pluck Aiyuk out of the 49ers’ ecosystem — away from Shanahan, McCaffrey, Samuel, Purdy and George Kittle — and expect his performance to be CTRL+C and CTRL+V. While Aiyuk has developed into a wide receiver with a skill set that translates to a variety of schemes and situations, he’s already fully unlocked, like many players under Shanahan.

Aiyuk’s target share of 22.6% ranked 20th in the NFL and his total route runs of 448 ranked 52nd behind the likes of Josh Reynolds, Allen Lazard, Darnell Mooney and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. If he were to move to a new team, he would be asked to perform as the man at a much higher usage. I think he could have performed as a needle mover in Cleveland, New England or Pittsburgh. But it’s still a higher ask when you’re expected to win regardless of the design of the game or the situation.

But now the point is irrelevant. Aiyuk has been a key cog in the 49ers’ offensive machine so far in his career, even if he’s not the engine of that machine. Both parties came to an agreement and can continue their successful relationship.