The dam hasn’t quite burst, but the Brandon Aiyuk breakout is undoubtedly happening. After an up-and-down start to the 2022 campaign, Aiyuk has emerged over the last four games as a go-to option and a legitimate No. 1 receiver for 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
This is not to take away from any of the other weapons on San Francisco’s offense. They’re loaded even without Aiyuk’s breakout stretch, which may be why the success has been relatively muted. There also hasn’t been one monster game where the 2020 first-round pick announces his presence with authority.
Instead of a tsunami, it’s been a steady series of waves where Aiyuk has hauled in at least six catches for at least 80 yards. It began against Atlanta in Week 6 when he posted eight catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns. He backed that up with seven catches for 82 yards against Kansas City, and 81 yards with a touchdown on six receptions vs. the Rams before the Bye. A week off didn’t slow Aiyuk down though, and he hauled in six more balls for 84 yards Sunday night against the Chargers.
In all, Aiyuk’s last four games have seen him earn 35 targets that he turned into 27 catches, 330 yards and three touchdowns. Extrapolated over a full season, those numbers add up to 115 receptions for 1,402 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also has the No. 10 overall receiving grade on Pro Football Focus, he’s tied for 14th in yards per route run, and tied for 13th in YAC per reception.
For San Francisco he’s leading the club in targets, receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. He’s two yards behind WR Deebo Samuel for the team lead in scrimmage yards, and the only player averaging more yards per touch is WR Ray-Ray McCloud who has 162 yards on 10 catches.
If Aiyuk’s not a star yet, he’s ascending toward that realm.
It could be argued that this breakout happened last season following the weird start to the year where Aiyuk was in some form of head coach Kyle Shanahan’s doghouse. He was good in the second half of the year, and in his last 17 games dating back to Week 11 of the 2021 campaign, Aiyuk has 78 catches for 1,137 yards and eight touchdowns.
The ceiling for the 49ers’ offense involves Aiyuk playing at the level he’s played over the course of the last month. With WR Deebo Samuel working in as a ball carrier and lining up in the backfield, it’s imperative for San Francisco to have a big-play threat on the outside. As defenses focus in on Samuel and TE George Kittle, Aiyuk has gotten more looks. He’s turned them into elite production over the last four games. If he keeps it up, he should finish the year as the top pass catcher in an extremely dynamic 49ers offense.
