In the unpredictable world of the San Francisco 49ers offense, a new standout player seems to emerge every week. One week, it may be tight end George Kittle. The next week, it may be running back Christian McCaffrey. Another week, it may be wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk's turn. It's a testament to the team's abundance of playmaking talent.
Even the players themselves don't know who will have the hot hand in any given week. Like fans, they must wait and observe what opportunities the opposing defense presents and what the 49ers can capitalize on.
The week of practice, running through the game plan, provides no clear indicators of whose opportunity it might be to deliver on the football field.
"I wish [it did]," Aiyuk told reporters this week. "But you never really know because, like two weeks ago, the practice week was like, you would have thought it was George. It ended up not being George. It ended up being me.
"Last week, the game plan was a little bit different. I was super excited for the game plan. It was a little bit different. And it ended up being [RB] Jordan [Mason]. So you never really know. You just wait your turn to make a play and try to make all the plays that come your way depending on how it goes."
The lack of individual touches doesn't lead to frustration. After all, the 49ers keep winning. They are a flawless 5-0 heading into this weekend's clash with the Cleveland Browns. Egos are set aside in the locker room, replaced with genuine joy for each teammate's success.
"I think we've been through so much stuff," Aiyuk shared. "We all been through a bunch of stuff together, grinding together. We all share similar struggles. ... We all know we're in this together."
This weekend could be Aiyuk's opportunity to shine. He's eager to contribute and add to his team-leading 378 receiving yards.
"You never know, any given week," Aiyuk said. "We all know it could be any given week. And that's super fun, super exciting, just because, if we just stay down, put our work in, eventually, it might come back around to you."
