You can argue that the San Francisco 49ers were the most talented of the four teams on Championship Weekend. One Niners player believes that to be the case. Luck just wasn't on their side against the Philadelphia Eagles. Quarterback Brock Purdy exited the game with a UCL tear, and his backup, Josh Johnson, was forced out with a concussion in the second half.
Purdy returned to the game, but the injury prevented him from throwing. So, lacking a quarterback who could throw the football, it was run, run, and run some more for much of the game.
"Man, it was tough. It was weird," wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk told Brad Graham of TheSFNiners. "It was definitely a weird situation. I've never been in any situation like that, let alone in a championship game with everything on the line. It was definitely weird.
"I didn't even know. It really took me getting home and being on the plane and really sitting down and realizing what just went on. We literally just played a football game for pretty much a half a football with no quarterback. It's the craziest thing."
Regarding talent, Aiyuk believes the 49ers roster is second to none, despite the team having to watch Super Bowl 57 from home. The 49ers playing in the NFC Championship Game with two hands tied behind their backs was a tough pill to swallow after winning 12 consecutive games entering the matchup.
"We went on a run. That's what makes this one just super hard, just because you have to get super lucky," Aiyuk shared. "You have to get super lucky. We have a talented football team. We have, hands down, the best football team in the league. Hands down. Hands down. I'm not even about to argue with anybody who thinks they should argue that."
Aiyuk admits that it has been tough to ignore the media chatter leading to the Super Bowl matchup between the Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. The receiver believes that, had the 49ers been a little luckier with injuries, it might be him preparing for the big game.
"I'm sitting down on the couch, just watching whatever these sports shows are, and they're just talking about how Philly is the best team, the most loaded team in football all year," Aiyuk said. "And it's just like—can't say nothing about it—but it's just like, 'No.' If you want to go player for player, offense or defense, I don't think anybody has [what we have].
"But that's what makes us so sick about this one because we feel like everything that we did from that point on, losing from KC, and from that point forward, just what we did to the league and how we just played on tape and how we really, I firmly believe, pumped fear into the opponent's heart when they had to come and play the San Francisco 49ers, we felt like it was our time. We felt like it was our time. And for that to get cut short, it's sickening."
Aiyuk and the 49ers were hoping for a rematch against the Chiefs, the team that delivered the Week 7 loss that sparked their impressive 12-game win streak.
Aiyuk added, "Kansas City [beat us], and we wanted to get one more chance at them. We weren't able to do that."
49ers plan to exercise Brandon Aiyuk's 5th-year option as other teams express interest
By David Bonilla
Mar 27
Don't expect San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to go anywhere anytime soon. On Monday morning, at the NFL owners' meetings in Arizona, general manager John Lynch made it clear the team plans to exercise the star player's fifth-year option.
"Brandon's been excellent for us," Lynch told reporters. "I'd be shocked if we didn't. We still have some time. It's (the deadline) the day after the draft, I believe, we have to make those decisions. And so we're still discussing, but it probably makes sense to do that for Brandon.
"He's a really good player. It's interesting when you're at these league functions, ownership meetings, combine, a lot of people ask about him. They really appreciate his game, and they see it ascending. And he's a guy we're very
Rohan Chakravarthi breaks down the San Francisco 49ers free agency moves and what's next for the organization, including a Brandon Aiyuk extension.
The audio for the show is embedded above, while the video is available below.
You can listen to "The Rohan Chakravarthi Show" from our
Seven 49ers free agents still searching for an NFL team
By David Bonilla
Mar 20
The first week of NFL free agency is in the books, and there has been a lot of movement made by the San Francisco 49ers. The team added defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, quarterback Sam Darnold, and others to the roster.
As is the case every year, departures are inevitable. Gone are some high-profile names like quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (Raiders) and tackle Mike McGlinchey (Broncos). Key players like cornerback Emmanuel Moseley (Lions) and offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill (Titans) have also found new NFL homes.
San Francisco has tendered a one-year deal to exclusive-rights free agent wide receiver Jauan Jennings. In addition, the following eight 49ers restricted or unrestricted free agents have returned to the team.
C Jake
5 ESPN experts name Javon Hargrave-to-49ers as best free agent signing
By David Bonilla
Mar 22
ESPN recently asked 12 of its analysts and writers to identify the best overall free agent signing this offseason. Five of them named the San Francisco 49ers signing former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave as the winner.
After facing him in the NFC Championship Game, the Niners couldn't resist the urge to pursue the high-profile free agent. Hargrave recorded five of the Eagles defense's 20 total pressures in that game against the 49ers, tallying one of Philadelphia's three sacks, and earning a 91.1 overall Pro Football Focus grade, his second-highest grade of the season (91.5, Week 18 vs. Giants). The defender's
