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San Francisco 49ers great John Taylor didn't mince words on Monday night while discussing quarterback
Brock Purdy and wide receiver
Brandon Aiyuk. The former NFL wide receiver, who was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame, took issue with those who downplay Purdy's accomplishments. Some attribute the quarterback's success to head coach Kyle Shanahan's system and a talented supporting cast.
"A lot of people didn't want to give Brock Purdy his just due," Taylor said,
per Cam Inman of The Mercury News. "'Oh, he's got this, he's got that. If he didn't have the group that he had, he wouldn't be the quarterback that he is.'"
Taylor reflected on two Hall of Fame quarterbacks whom he caught passes from during his illustrious NFL career—Joe Montana and Steve Young. They also had an impressive supporting cast.
"If Joe didn't have the group that he had, Joe wouldn't have been Joe," Taylor asserted. "If Steve didn't have the group that he had, Steve wouldn't have been Steve. I've never seen one of those two quarterbacks block for himself, hike the ball to himself, throw the ball to himself and go catch it.
"But they always say, 'Oh, if he didn't have the surrounding party.' Well, that's how teams win. That's how championships are made—of all different parts, not just one person."
Purdy set a single-season franchise record this past season with 4,280 passing yards and helped lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl in just his second NFL season. He aims to continue his success and win a championship in his third year.
Turning to Aiyuk, Taylor recounted an early encounter with the talented receiver and a conversation with general manager John Lynch.
"I remember being at training camp, and John Lynch asked me [what I thought] of Brandon Aiyuk," Taylor reminisced. "I said, 'You want my honest opinion?' He said, 'Yeah.' I said, 'He's a hell of a receiver. He's just thinking too much. He just has to go play, let his ability take over.' I said I know that feeling. In his mind, he's wondering, and he has to stop wondering."
During the 2021 season, Taylor had a chance to offer advice directly to Aiyuk on the bus ahead of a practice before the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Taylor recalled, "I introduced myself to him and told him, 'Brandon, listen, I watched your whole career at ASU. You were a hell of a receiver. This is just my advice to you, and you can take it or leave it: Stop overthinking. Just go play. Let your ability take over.'"
Aiyuk led the team with 1,342 receiving yards last season, marking his second consecutive season surpassing the 1,000-yard mark. He awaits a new contract from the 49ers, which is expected to make him one of the NFL's highest-paid receivers.
With
Deebo Samuel already commanding a top-tier salary and the recent drafting of wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with the No. 31 overall pick, Taylor anticipates eventual changes to the team's receiving corps.
"Honestly, so somebody's gone," Taylor speculated. "They aren't going to say it right now, but somebody is gone."
Rumors circulated before and during the 2024 NFL Draft about the possibility of the San Francisco 49ers losing one of their top two wide receivers—Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel. Such a scenario could have significantly impacted the team's success in the upcoming season and posed a potential blow for quarterback Brock Purdy, who has thrived alongside the dynamic duo on the field.
However, none of these speculations came to fruition. Both Aiyuk and Samuel remain on the roster, at least for another season, though their future beyond that remains uncertain.
Aiyuk is seeking a contract extension that would position him among the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL. At the same time, Samuel already commands a significant salary following a deal rework in 2022.
The San Francisco 49ers need wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. And Aiyuk needs the 49ers. But the two sides are reportedly not close on a new deal that would keep the star receiver in San Francisco for years to come.
Sunday morning, on SportsCenter, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the 49ers and Aiyuk are not close in contract negotiations, leading many to wonder if Aiyuk will hold out (not show up) or hold in (show up but not participate) for the remainder of the offseason and even training camp.
"This one's tricky because he was implicated in some trade talks around the draft," Fowler said. "He wants a new contract; has one year left. I'm told the 49ers certainly are open to doing a deal, but talks have not progressed enough where things are close. And
To say there was a lot of speculation surrounding San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk heading into the 2024 NFL Draft would be an understatement. Many believed a trade involving the team's leading receiver from last season might be in the works.
In the end, Aiyuk remained on the 49ers' roster once the draft concluded, indicating a likelihood of him staying with the team at least through the upcoming season. San Francisco remains committed to negotiating a long-term deal for the fifth-year wideout.
Last week, Ian Rapoport joined NFL Network and was asked for an update on the Aiyuk situation. The
Dre Greenlaw received the Dwight Clark Award on Thursday night at the Dwight Clark Legacy Series event in San Jose. During the event, the San Francisco 49ers linebacker provided an encouraging update on his recovery from the torn Achilles he suffered in February during the Super Bowl.
The update follows Greenlaw's conversation with NBC Sports Bay Area last week, where he shared similar news about his recovery and discussed whether the UNLV practice fields contributed to the injury. Greenlaw reiterated these points on Thursday night.
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