49ers' Aiyuk reveals he was 'scared' to watch Week 1 film

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) is introduced to the crowd before the game against the New York Jets at Levi's Stadium. Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk reveals he was 'scared' to watch Week 1 film

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Sep 11, 2024 7:04 PM ET

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk admitted he avoided the film room after his lackluster performance in Week 1 against the New York Jets.

"I think after the game, I didn't watch the film until this morning," Aiyuk said on Wednesday, via David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone. "I was a little bit scared to watch it, but not as bad as I thought."

In a 32-19 home win over the Jets on "Monday Night Football," Aiyuk only had two catches for 28 yards on five targets and dropped a potential touchdown at the end of the second quarter.

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

He was probably dealing with rust. Before signing a four-year, $120M deal on Aug. 30., the 26-year-old wideout didn't participate in training camp or preseason.

Former 49ers WR and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice expects it to take a couple of weeks before Aiyuk finds his groove.

"I think it's going to take a couple of games for Brandon Aiyuk," Rice said in a Tuesday interview with KGMZ-FM in San Francisco. "I think, with him, he's probably putting pressure on himself to make those plays, but eventually, he's going to be able to just relax and play football."

Aiyuk should eventually show why San Francisco extended him. In 16 games last season, he registered 75 receptions for a career-high 1,342 yards and seven TD catches, earning a second-team All-Pro nod.

Don't be surprised if the Niners ramp-up his workload in a road game vs. the Vikings on Sunday. Per Stathead, Aiyuk has eight receptions for 148 yards in two regular-season games against Minnesota.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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