Aiyuk reveals Super Bowl doubts that contributed to 49ers’ frustration originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
Brandon Aiyuk is one of quarterback Brock Purdy’s top offensive weapons, but the 49ers wide receiver felt underutilized in San Francisco’s latest trip to the Super Bowl.
And as Aiyuk continues talks about what could be a lucrative 49ers contract extensionhe recently admitted that his lack of targets in Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs left him frustrated after the San Francisco loss – specifically, stating that was why he made a cryptic post on social media after the game.
“Absolutely,” Aiyuk said on Friday’s episode of “The Pivot” podcast, when asked if his Super Bowl wear prompted him to post, “Don’t forget what got you there,” on his Instagram Story the day after the big game. .
“I come out of the Super Bowl and I feel like you’re throwing the ball to me five, six times a game all year. [yards in a game] six or seven times this year. I turned 70 captures into 1,400 [yards]. And so here we are now, talking about getting paid, getting the best value in this market, but I don’t know. The Super Bowl was complicated. We’re already past the Super Bowl.”
Aiyuk caught three of his six targets for 49 receiving yards in the Super Bowl. He had three receptions and a touchdown in the NFC Championship Game against the Detroit Lions, and three receptions in the divisional round against the Green Bay Packers after being targeted eight and six times, respectively.
The wideout has been targeted six or fewer times in eight games during the 2023 NFL regular season, or half of the 49ers’ contests.
Still, it’s reasonable that Aiyuk would want a more prominent role in the biggest game of the season, especially after sealing San Francisco’s NFC title victory with his now famous “ladybug catch” at Levi’s Stadium. His production leading up to the Super Bowl, where he recorded his second consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season, certainly played a big role in the 49ers’ chance of chasing another Vince Lombardi Trophy.
And like he said, Aiyuk got over the Super Bowl loss. But it’s clear that the emotions of that experience forced him to examine his career – and how much does he earn – through a different lens.
