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Brandon Aiyuk has been the talk amongst 49ers fans after his slow start to the season. He has only caught eight passes for 90 yards over the team's first six games, despite breaking out as a rookie, having caught 60 passes for 748 yards and five touchdowns, leading the team in all three of those categories in 2020.
Last week, John Lynch spoke about his second-year receiver and stated that Aiyuk "hasn't made the strides [the 49ers] have expected him to," sparking a controversy about whether the team's been misusing him, or if there's really something different about Aiyuk.
Still, Lynch, who spoke with NBC's Matt Maiocco, has given his utmost confidence in the 25th overall pick in the 2020 Draft, as he knows that the team's at their best with his best version out on the field.
"First and foremost, I know that it's critical for us to have him at his best for us to be at our best," Lynch told NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco. "We drafted him where we drafted him for a reason. He's an extremely talented young man. He's an extremely hard-working young man."
The issues began during the offseason, where Aiyuk suffered a hamstring injury, limiting the time he had to practice as the quarterbacks were getting accustomed to their receivers.
"Sometimes you run into some speed bumps, and he did with his health in training camp," Lynch said. "And we had some other people playing at a high level. And so, this league is about working through that."
Regardless, San Francisco's general manager knows the ups-and-downs that players have during their time in the NFL and still believes Aiyuk can be a key contributor to this 49ers football team, although urgency is what he wishes to see from the 23-year old.
"I just sat up there in Canton. People don't know I didn't start until my third year," Lynch shared. "That was a little more commonplace back then, but I was trying to find myself as a player. You're working through things.
"What I can tell you is we still very much believe in Brandon. Brandon still very much believes in himself and us. We've just got to put it all together, and again, the urgency of that, it needs to come. We have other people who are hungry and have earned opportunities as well. And so, we're always going to put out the players that give us the best chance. But we do understand that it's extremely important for us to have Brandon Aiyuk at his best for us to ascend to where we want to go."
With the 49ers sitting at 2-3 and heading into their bye week, perhaps the extra rest and preparation will give Aiyuk, and the 49ers, a chance to get back on track and finish the season strong.
You can watch the rest of Lynch's interview with NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco down below.
Rumor: Steelers believe they can acquire 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk at a bargain
By David Bonilla
Apr 17
According to Sports Illustrated contributor Noah Strackbein, who writes for "All Steelers" on the network, there's a level of confidence within the Pittsburgh Steelers organization that they can strike a deal for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk—and at a bargain rate.
"According to a team source, the Steelers and 49ers trade talks are real," Strackbein wrote. "While nothing is imminent, they 'would be surprised if it didn't happen.' But it all comes down to compensation, and Pittsburgh isn't willing to budge much on price."
While it seems unlikely that the 49ers would part ways with Aiyuk for anything less than a first-round draft
John Lynch wants Brandon Aiyuk to remain with 49ers for rest of career
By David Bonilla
Apr 22
Rumors have swirled regarding the situation between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who is entering his fifth NFL season and is slated to earn $14.124 million on a team-executed fifth-year option. Despite the 49ers publicly declaring a desire to sign Aiyuk to a contract extension, keeping him on the roster for the foreseeable future, many rumors have focused on potential trade interest.
On Monday, general manager John Lynch held his annual pre-draft press conference, addressing the Aiyuk situation without revealing any information on the conversations that have taken place behind closed doors. Once again, he emphasized that the 49ers want Aiyuk to remain with the team for the remainder of his career.
When asked if there was a chance Aiyuk
Brandon Aiyuk's agent denies report of Steelers 'aggressively pursuing' the 49ers receiver
By David Bonilla
Apr 18
On Wednesday, Chat Sports contributor Chase Senior reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers were "aggressively pursuing" San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. He further stated that the Steelers are confident they can finalize a deal for the star player.
REPORTS: The Pittsburgh Steelers are aggressively pursuing a Brandon Aiyuk trade and the Steelers would be "surprised" if they don't land Aiyuk. Of note: Pittsburgh has the 20th overall pick. The Niners could look at that as equal value for Aiyuk if they can't get a deal done.…
Rapoport: 49ers send clear message to teams inquiring about Brandon Aiyuk
By David Bonilla
Apr 16
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
