Nine San Francisco 49ers players secured Pro Bowl selections this year, but the notable absence of Brandon Aiyuk left many surprised. Despite an outstanding season where the wide receiver caught 72 passes for 1,317 yards and seven touchdowns, Aiyuk fell short of earning his first Pro Bowl nod. His impressive 18.3 yards per reception led the NFL, yet it failed to persuade voters.
General manager John Lynch expressed his disappointment during an interview on Bay Area radio station KNBR, stating, "Brandon Aiyuk ... I believe that he's earned it. What he's done, his yards per catch, I mean, we were at a point deep into the season, and someone told me every catch but two of his have gone for a first down. He's number one in the league in yards per reception."
Lynch went on to commend another aspect of Aiyuk's game, something probably overlooked by voters.
"But the thing I think takes him over the hump is the commitment he's made to run blocking and to do all the things he's doing in the pass game, the explosivity, seven games over 100 yards," Lynch said. "And then to couple that with the commitment he's made to being the best run-blocking receiver in the league.
"And [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] talks about that kind of dictates the tempo, the attitude of a team as much as anything ... When your receivers buy into that, and it is contagious, we talk about that a lot. B.A.'s sold out, and this guy's a Pro Bowler in my mind. He's an All-Pro in my mind. And I'm so proud of him, and I felt sick for him that he didn't make it."
In terms of fan voting, Aiyuk garnered the most votes among NFC wide receivers and was one of 15 49ers players leading their respective position groups in fan support. Lynch praised the fans' unwavering dedication.
"I will say our fans were unbelievable," Lynch stated. "It wasn't for a lack of trying. Our fans, the way they came out and supported our players, it was unbelievable. The Faithful never ceases to amaze me."
Lynch added, "But I did feel bad for B.A. But I know that, through my own experience, sometimes that's just the way it goes. You should have made it one year, and then you make it the next year, and hopefully, you keep going. And B.A. has that in him. I know that."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.
