49ers' Brandon Aiyuk suggests Brock Purdy could improve in playoffs

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has suggested fans haven't yet seen the best of rookie quarterback Brock Purdy this season.

"I’m starting to know him now, getting to work with him a little more, being able to talk with him a little more, just talking football, seeing the type of dude he is," Aiyuk said of Purdy on Wednesday, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Purdy, the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, handled scout team duties and was largely an afterthought as Trey Lance opened the regular season atop the depth chart. Lance went down with a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2, and Jimmy Garoppolo was lost to a broken foot back on Dec. 4. Thus, teammates such as Aiyuk are still getting to know Purdy as a person and as a QB1.

"As we get more reps, we’re starting to grow with him," Aiyuk added about Purdy during his comments. "He’s doing a great job, and we’re still growing. We’re trying to see how far he can take it and where we can take it, too. We’re just trying to look to elevate every single week."

According to Pro-Football-Reference, Aiyuk accumulated 22 receptions on 31 targets for 317 yards and two touchdowns across Purdy's five starts. Meanwhile, Purdy enters the playoffs holding a perfect 5-0 record as a starter, and ESPN stats show the 23-year-old would rank fifth with a 65.6 total QBR on the season if he were among qualified passers.

The 13-4 49ers host the 9-8 Seattle Seahawks in a wild-card playoff matchup this coming Saturday afternoon.