San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk doesn’t lose many battles on the football field, and we’re not just talking about his skills beating a cornerback on a passing route.
Aiyuk, who has surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the second straight season, has carved out a reputation for himself beyond his pass-catching ability. ESPN recently tabbed Aiyuk as the best blocking receiver in the NFL.
The fourth-year pro out of Arizona State might also be the league’s pound-for-pound toughest player, showing a willingness to block opposing defenders who are often much bigger in size, but not in heart. And that’s saying something on a team with another receiver, Deebo Samuel, who routinely bounces off and breaks tackles and is among the league leaders in yards after catch.
Monday’s night game ended in a 33-19 loss for Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers, a game in which Aiyuk finished with six catches for 113 yards and provided the latest example of his toughness — taking on and taking down Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen.
The 6-foot, 200-pound Aiyuk is often seen racing downfield ahead of Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel to clear a path for them to get to the end zone. He might be the polar opposite of Pittsburgh Steelers receiver George Pickens, who’s been cited for giving up on plays that involve blocking.
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Brandon Aiyuk just doesn’t back down
Brandon Aiyuk, who was drafted in the first round in 2019, had a rocky start to his NFL career and ended up in Kyle Shanahan’s doghouse over his lack of consistency.
As a testament to his toughness and never-back-down mentality Aiyuk has even gotten into physical and verbal sparring matches with 49ers linebacker Fred Warner during training camp.
But Aiyuk (62 catches, 1,203 yards) has emerged as not only the 49ers’ leading receiver, but also as one of the game’s best overall. He leads the NFL in yards per catch (18.5) is likely to end up being selected to his first Pro Bowl — for both his receiving and his ability to help spring his teammates for long runs. At this point, Aiyuk would be tough to pass up.