Pressure on Brandon Aiyuk will only escalate if 49ers WR doesn't start producing

Brandon Aiyuk hasn't played much like a $30 million wide receiver over the first two weeks of the season, and he's feeling the heat.

All offseason, the San Francisco 49ers' biggest drama point was whether or not they'd reach a new agreement with their top wide receiver from the previous two years, Brandon Aiyuk.

It ultimately happened at the 11th hour, not long before the Niners kicked off their regular season against the New York Jets.

While head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad had plenty of stars from that game, Aiyuk wasn't exactly one of them, hauling in just two passes on five targets for 28 yards, including a dropped would-be touchdown in the end zone that drew criticism from Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.

OK, it was one week. Aiyuk might be a little rusty after missing almost all of his team's offseason workouts.

However, Week 2's performance in the 23-17 road loss against the Minnesota Vikings didn't answer any of the concerns about the receiver's prowess after inking his $30 million per-year contract.

Brandon Aiyuk is feeling the heat for not producing like a top wide receiver

San Francisco's loss to Minnesota was multifaceted. Gaffes on special teams, third downs and in ball protection ultimately spoiled the chance to improve to 2-0 on the young season.

But Aiyuk wasn't exactly the kind of presence who'd help dig the 49ers out of a big hole.

Sure, he finished with four catches for 43 yards on five targets. Yet one would have hoped Week 2 would be a rebound game for him, one in which he'd take over the Niners' needs in the passing game instead of other stars, such as tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Deebo Samuel, having to shoulder the load through the air.

Needless to say, Aiyuk isn't exactly receiving a lot of praise from both San Francisco fans and pundits:

Again, it's early. But with the 49ers staring at the reality of a 1-1 start to the season despite having an overabundance of riches on offense, it's fair to wonder if Aiyuk will have a down year, thereby failing to live up to the lofty extension he sought all offseason.

If that winds up being the case, 2024 could turn into a massive disappointment for the Niners' and their top pass catcher.

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