San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Peyton Manning unleashes on Brandon Aiyuk for poor showing in 49ers’ opener

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Sep 10, 2024 11:54 AM ET

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk would have a reduced workload in the team’s season opener against the New York Jets on Monday night.

But few likely expected Aiyuk to have as little of an impact as he did, catching just two of his five targets for 28 yards and dropping a touchdown in the back of the end zone on a perfectly placed Brock Purdy throw.

The 26-year-old took a ton of heat on social media for his lackluster performance, but perhaps no one was more disgusted than two-time Super Bowl winner Peyton Manning, who didn’t pull any punches when addressing Aiyuk’s end-zone blunder during Monday’s “ManningCast.”

“Get signed, get in training camp; there’s a reason for training camp — you need it,” Manning said. “You need the reps. Get those contracts done earlier so you can get in training camp and we don’t drop balls on opening night.”

Brandon Aiyuk dropped what would’ve been a TD

He has 14 YDS at the half pic.twitter.com/r2AILXAIS1
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 10, 2024

Manning’s brother Eli agreed, reiterating the importance camp reps have on regular-season performance.

“It’s probably one thing catching passes, running routes then all of a sudden you’re laying out for a pass, full-speed, diving — those happen in camp,” Eli said. “You make those, you practice those, [he’s] just a little rusty right there.”

Typically known for his crisp route-running and excellent play-making skills, Aiyuk labored through Week 1. He was noticeably slower than normal, and he struggled to get the timing down on his routes.

Though Aiyuk reported for training camp, he didn’t participate in any on-field drills, practices or preseason games.

It’s presumed he did offseason training on his own, but as was evident on Monday night, there’s no substitute for getting meaningful reps with your teammates in camp.

Michael Gallagher

Michael Gallagher is a longtime sports journalist based out of Nashville with a decade of experience covering college football, mixed martial arts and prep sports plus the NFL and NHL — specifically the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators. He’s covered several notable sporting events including an AFC Championship game, a Stanley Cup Final, an NHL All-Star Game and an NHL Stadium Series. Some of his past bylines can be found at the Nashville Scene, SB Nation, The Hockey News and Fox Sports Knoxville

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