There has been a lot of focus on the quarterback position for the San Francisco 49ers this offseason. With Brock Purdy recovering from an elbow injury, Trey Lance has been taking the first-team reps in the offseason. Sam Darnold was also signed as an insurance policy behind him.
Alas, no matter who is under center come Week 1, they are going to be surrounded by arguably the best supporting cast in the NFL. Not many teams can compete with a lineup that includes running back Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle and wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.
Slowing that group down is a near impossibility. Offering help to one will put another in an advantageous position which they will almost always capitalize on. And, the players on the team know that.
Recently, Samuel had some choice words about his running mate, Aiyuk. He offered up a warning to the rest of the league, wishing them luck in trying to slow down the Arizona State product this upcoming season.
“Man, you can’t cover that boy in a phone booth right now,” said Samuel, via PFF on their Twitter account.
Aiyuk is showing out during the 49ers’ offseason program, drawing the attention of his teammates with his performance. This is a big season for the 2020 first-round pick as the 49ers are going to have to make a decision about his future soon.
Coming off the best season of his career, Aiyuk has put himself in a position for a nice payday. He caught 78 passes for 1,105 yards and eight touchdowns, stepping up when Samuel was sidelined because of injury. When taking into account that the 49ers had three different starting quarterbacks last season, it makes Aiyuk’s performance that much more impressive.
After being in the doghouse of 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan early in his career, Aiyuk has ascended into becoming an integral part of the team’s game plan each week. He has the skill set to be a No. 1 receiver in an offense, providing San Francisco with the luxury of having two such players at their disposal.
