49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk to Brock Purdy’s doubters: “You can’t hold him down”

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy achieved remarkable milestones in his second NFL season. Throughout the 2023 campaign, the young signal-caller shattered expectations while coming off offseason surgery on his throwing arm. He set a single-season franchise record with 4,280 passing yards—a significant accomplishment when you consider the Hall of Fame quarterbacks who have played for the organization.

Purdy was a finalist for the coveted MVP award and led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance.

However, despite Purdy's impressive accomplishments, there remain those who hesitate to fully acknowledge his talents. This skepticism frustrates his teammate, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

In a candid discussion on "The Nightcap" podcast with former NFL players Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco, Aiyuk addressed the lingering doubts surrounding his quarterback.

"They gonna take until the last moment possible to say, 'All right, you know, we gonna give him his credit,'" Aiyuk stated. "But we cool with that. We cool with that. I feel like he's an underdog. Myself, I feel like I'm an underdog. But you can't hold an underdog down for too long. You can't hold him down. No matter how hard you try, you ain't gonna hold him down."

Aiyuk has enjoyed his time hauling in passes from Purdy. The wide receiver experienced a standout year in 2023, amassing 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. With his representatives currently negotiating a contract extension this offseason, Aiyuk remains uncertain about his future. However, it sounds like he would love to continue working with Purdy.

"I enjoyed playing with him," Aiyuk reflected. "I had a lot of fun playing with him. But we had only just got started, so we'll see what happens going down the road. Hopefully, I'll continue to praise him, which, no matter how it goes—he nice. He nice, for real. So he nice, he nice."