Brandon Aiyuk didn’t feel like himself in the San Francisco 49ers’ season-opening win on Monday night, and it showed.
Aiyuk, who struggled in the 49ers’ 32-19 win over the New York Jets, said it was a feeling unlike anything he’d ever had in his career.
“I didn’t see the movie until this morning,” he said Wednesday. by David Lombardi of The Athletic“I was a little scared to see him, but not as scared as I thought.”
Aiyuk had just two catches for 28 yards in the win at Levi’s Stadium on Monday, and he was targeted five times. There was even a play just before halftime that should have resulted in a touchdown, but Aiyuk fumbled the catch in the end zone. That caused Hall of Famer Peyton Manning to also briefly get upset about Aiyuk’s decision to skip training camp on his alternate ESPN broadcast of the game.
Aiyuk missed all of training camp this summer while seeking a new contract with the 49ers. He ultimately agreed to a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the team late last month, but did not practice at all with the team until the season’s opening week.
Aiyuk admitted after his contract negotiations that he “made it a little bit harder than it needed to be” and was very close to being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers at one point.
The 26-year-old had a career-high 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 75 receptions last season, when he helped the 49ers reach the Super Bowl. It was his second consecutive 1,000-yard season.
Aiyuk didn’t specify what happened to him during the game, but it could be as simple as him being rusty and trying to get back into his groove after his unusual summer. He’ll get a chance to bounce back Sunday when the 49ers face the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis. Based on his track record, he’s sure to be back to his old self.