Aiyuk and Purdy worked extra hard after practice to rebuild chemistry, originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA — Brandon Aiyuk failed to catch a single pass from Brock Purdy during the wide receiver’s extended hold-in while he awaited a contract extension.
Now that the second-team All-Pro has signed his four-year, $120 million contract extension, the two offensive stars have taken extra time off after practice to rebuild the chemistry they showed in 2023.
That extra work reinforces coach Kyle Shanahan’s positive outlook on the situation.
“They’ve been great,” Shanahan said Saturday. “They started throwing together, Saturday was the first time they came out here by themselves and just did it. And they’ve done it, I think they did it Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and today. So they haven’t missed a beat.”
It will be a challenge for Aiyuk to match his career-high of 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdown receptions after missing the entire offseason, but the extra work will certainly help him.
“[Aiyuk] “He’s going to get back into the swing of things,” Shanahan said. “It’s a lot to expect from a guy, just to expect him to be exactly the same. But he looks that way in practice and he’s going to get better every week.”
Kyle Shanahan believes Brock Purdy and Brandon Aiyuk "haven't missed a beat" with their connection 💪 pic.twitter.com/RvvlyhLX7L
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) September 7, 2024
Although Aiyuk’s absence lasted for several months, the wideout was an active participant in class during meetings. The Arizona State product also did mental repetitions while watching practice from the sidelines.
Still, Shanahan will want to make sure Aiyuk doesn’t take on too much work in his first game since Super Bowl LVIII.
While the chemistry between Purdy and Aiyuk becomes apparent quickly, Shanahan has been known to opt for the “hot hand.”
“I think he plays the majority of the game, most of the time, and I’d probably be surprised with the same amount,” Shanahan said. “But he’s in good shape. He’s had a really good week. His soreness hasn’t been too bad after every practice. He’s really pushed it hard, done some extra stuff afterwards. He looks good and he’s ready to go.”
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