San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is having himself an impressive season. His 733 receiving yards rank as the third-most by a rookie in franchise history. Aiyuk is closing in on Deebo Samuel's mark of 802 yards, which was set last season, and two strong performances to close out the season could threaten Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice's mark of 927 receiving yards.
Aiyuk's 59 receptions rank second by a rookie in franchise history, surpassing Samuel's mark of 57, set last year. Only Earl Cooper had more as a rookie, hauling in 83 passes in 1980.
Aiyuk's five touchdowns this season ties him for the second-most by a 49ers rookie. Only Dave Parks had more, recording eight in 1964.
Yes, Aiyuk is having himself an impressive season.
Rice, who joined 95.7 The Game on Monday, believes the 49ers rookie hasn't even scratched the surface yet.
"I've really got confidence in him that he's only going to get better," Rice said on The Morning Roast. "He's going to continue to work hard, and he's going to get more looks and more opportunities. And I think next year is going to be a really big year for him."
Rice knows a thing or two about sophomore-season leaps. He followed up his 927-yard, three-touchdown rookie performance with 1,570 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in 1986. It was his first of 11 consecutive 1,000-plus-yard seasons.
"It's just like my rookie season. You try to find your way, where you fit in," Rice continued. "You try to get acclimated to the playbook and also what you're going to be doing on the football field. And I think next year, he's going to take a major, major leap. And he's going to be more productive and put more points on the board."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Rice below.