I see Brandon Aiyuk was posting on social media, encouraging the Steelers to make a trade offer for him. And there have been suggestions the 49ers might be willing to listen.
Having completed three seasons, Aiyuk is eligible for an extension, and he’s ready to get paid. He won’t get Jefferson-Chase money, but he can argue that he should be in the next tier of receivers.
You can’t pay everyone, and San Francisco might not want to allocate that much money to the receiver position. They’ve already got Deebo Samuel signed to a big deal. And they may believe that a big part of Aiyuk’s success can be attributed to him playing in their system. What would anybody think of Aiyuk today, for example, had he been selected by the other franchise that’s selected an Arizona State wide receiver in the first round in recent years (the Patriots, with N’Keal Harry).
Aiyuk’s numbers last year, however, were pretty special. He went for 1,342 yards, and he did it at 17.9 yards per catch – lots of big plays downfield field.
Yards per target is one measure of a receiver. You look not only catches but also incompletions, calculating the average gain when a team tries to get the ball to a player. By that measure, Aiyuk’s numbers last season were the best of any wide receiver in the last 10 years. He averaged 12.8 yards per pass play, almost a yard more than anybody else. Among receivers with at least 100 targets, only 33 others have averaged at least 10 yards per target.
(Other players from the 2023 season tagged with black dots.)
| WIDE RECEIVERS AVERAGING 10 YARDS PER TARGET | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Tgt | No | Yards | Avg | TD | YPT |
| 2023 | Brandon Aiyuk, S.F. | 105 | 75 | 1,342 | 17.9 | 7 | 12.8 |
| 2023 | • Nico Collins, Hou. | 109 | 80 | 1,297 | 16.2 | 8 | 11.9 |
| 2021 | Deebo Samuel, S.F. | 121 | 77 | 1,405 | 18.3 | 6 | 11.6 |
| 2022 | Jaylen Waddle, Mia. | 117 | 75 | 1,356 | 18.1 | 8 | 11.6 |
| 2021 | JaMarr Chase, Cin. | 128 | 81 | 1,455 | 18.0 | 13 | 11.4 |
| 2017 | Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 105 | 75 | 1,183 | 15.8 | 7 | 11.3 |
| 2020 | Justin Jefferson, Min. | 125 | 88 | 1,400 | 15.9 | 7 | 11.2 |
| 2018 | Mike Evans, T.B. | 138 | 86 | 1,524 | 17.7 | 8 | 11.0 |
| 2019 | Chris Godwin, T.B. | 121 | 86 | 1,333 | 15.5 | 9 | 11.0 |
| 2021 | Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 107 | 73 | 1,175 | 16.1 | 8 | 11.0 |
| 2016 | Julio Jones, Atl. | 129 | 83 | 1,409 | 17.0 | 6 | 10.9 |
| 2018 | Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 137 | 87 | 1,479 | 17.0 | 12 | 10.8 |
| 2023 | • George Pickens, Pitt. | 106 | 63 | 1,140 | 18.1 | 5 | 10.8 |
| 2023 | • Justin Jefferson, Min. | 100 | 68 | 1,074 | 15.8 | 5 | 10.7 |
| 2018 | T.Y. Hilton, Ind. | 120 | 76 | 1,270 | 16.7 | 6 | 10.6 |
| 2023 | • Tyreek Hill, Mia. | 171 | 119 | 1,799 | 15.1 | 13 | 10.5 |
| 2015 | Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 103 | 78 | 1,069 | 13.7 | 14 | 10.4 |
| 2014 | T.Y. Hilton, Ind. | 130 | 82 | 1,345 | 16.4 | 7 | 10.3 |
| 2022 | A.J. Brown, Phil. | 145 | 88 | 1,496 | 17.0 | 11 | 10.3 |
| 2018 | Brandin Cooks, LAR | 117 | 80 | 1,204 | 15.1 | 5 | 10.3 |
| 2017 | Marvin Jones, Det. | 107 | 61 | 1,101 | 18.0 | 9 | 10.3 |
| 2019 | Kenny Golladay, Det. | 116 | 65 | 1,190 | 18.3 | 11 | 10.3 |
| 2014 | Randall Cobb, G.B. | 126 | 91 | 1,287 | 14.1 | 12 | 10.2 |
| 2021 | Cooper Kupp, LAR | 191 | 145 | 1,947 | 13.4 | 16 | 10.2 |
| 2020 | A.J. Brown, Ten. | 106 | 70 | 1,075 | 15.4 | 11 | 10.1 |
| 2020 | DJ Moore, Car. | 118 | 66 | 1,193 | 18.1 | 4 | 10.1 |
| 2020 | DK Metcalf, Sea. | 129 | 83 | 1,303 | 15.7 | 10 | 10.1 |
| 2014 | Jordy Nelson, G.B. | 151 | 98 | 1,519 | 15.5 | 13 | 10.1 |
| 2022 | Tyreek Hill, Mia. | 170 | 119 | 1,710 | 14.4 | 7 | 10.1 |
| 2016 | DeSean Jackson, Was. | 100 | 56 | 1,005 | 17.9 | 4 | 10.1 |
| 2023 | • DJ Moore, Chi. | 136 | 96 | 1,364 | 14.2 | 8 | 10.0 |
| 2016 | Brandin Cooks, N.O. | 117 | 78 | 1,173 | 15.0 | 8 | 10.0 |
| 2019 | Amari Cooper, Dall. | 119 | 79 | 1,189 | 15.1 | 8 | 10.0 |
| 2014 | Emmanuel Sanders, Den. | 141 | 101 | 1,404 | 13.9 | 9 | 10.0 |
—Ian Allan