SF 49ers: 3 reasons Brandon Aiyuk gets even better after dominant Week 3 outing
By Peter Panacy
No. 1: Brandon Aiyuk will be more lethal once Deebo Samuel returns to SF 49ers
For years now, it seems the SF 49ers have been longing for a regular one-two punch at wide receiver.
And that was the idea behind adding Brandon Aiyuk: pairing him with second-year pro wideout Deebo Samuel, who already impressed exceptionally well during his rookie 2019 season before suffering an offseason foot injury.
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Samuel remains out, compounding the Niners’ concerns at the position, although the hope is he’ll be able to return from short-term injured reserve as soon as Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Once he does, San Francisco’s passing attack could finally hit its stride.
Yes, tight end George Kittle remains the 49ers’ top receiving weapon. But Samuel is a close second, and those two are likely to command the vast majority of defenses’ attention in the coming weeks when this entire group is fully healthy.
That likely translates to some favorable one-on-one matchups for Aiyuk.
Playing essentially a “third fiddle” role isn’t bad for the rookie at all. If anything, it opens up the door for Aiyuk to have his own promising rookie campaign, particularly with Kyle Shanahan already using him in ways he previously used Samuel (end-around rushes, over-the-middle slants, etc.).
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As long as Aiyuk seizes the opportunity, there will be no shortage of reasons to assume he’ll be a star in the making.