Brandon Aiyuk’s Training Camp Shows Evolution As 49ers Leader
Two words have defined the 49ers’ training camp practices in 2022: Brandon Aiyuk.
11 months in the distant past, Aiyuk saw himself in Kyle Shanahan’s doghouse for what the head coach saw as a result of struggles in practice. Already just in the twilight of his sophomoric season, the former first rounder’s time in San Francisco appeared to be in jeopardy.
11 months have passed, and Aiyuk has walked the tightropes to a different path.
Praise In The Locker Room
Shanahan went on to praise Aiyuk’s newfound wisdom and response to a decrease in snaps following his early benching in 2021. He’s reportedly the standout player at every practice. The team’s top defenders such as Fred Warner and Jimmie Ward went out of their way to pass acclaim onto Aiyuk’s rise as a leader.
And whereas Aiyuk’s brawl with Warner could easily be mistaken as the resulting cracks of a brewing tension, it’s instead been seen as bringing out the best in the receiver, testing his evolution as a leader.
Depending on who you talk to, locker room culture can either be overstated or understated. No one can deny its importance, after all motivation is needed to get the job at task done. In the calm before a highly anticipated third year, Aiyuk is rising as a face of that locker room.
QB-WR Chemistry
The connection between Aiyuk and Trey Lance in camp has been well documented. The two frequently worked out in the offseason, working to get the best out of each other.
Perhaps Aiyuk did this because he saw dried ink on the barrier regarding Lance’s status as the team’s future. Regardless, it shows a mindset that Aiyuk knows every snap counts in getting the quarterback up to NFL speed.
That plays a hand in Aiyuk having the Jerry Rice 1995 of training camps.
Aiyuk has been the standout at training camp for one day, then again, again, again, again, and again. It keeps building to the point where teammates can sense a breakout on the horizon.
The potential breakout is a dream to see after what transpired last September. Aiyuk was not the first to fall in Shanahan’s doghouse. Victims like Dante Pettis and Matt Brieda could never claw out of it once they found themselves trapped.
It would’ve been understandable for the second-year starter to request a trade and voice his frustrations, letting all of his emotions out of a stress-filled bottle.
And yet in the darkest hours of his professional career, Aiyuk did not blame others, as Shanahan had said. The 11 month redemption began when he needed to earn his role, and ended when he earned his respect.
It’s the culmination from a gradual rise out of the doghouse to become the locker room’s top dog.
