49ers legend Young calls out Aiyuk for slow start to 2024 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steve Young didn’t mince words when dissecting Brandon Aiyuk’s slow start to the 2024 NFL season.
The 49ers’ All-Pro wide receiver has not produced at the level he and the team expect him to through three games this season and many point to Aiyuk’s training camp hold-in and the lack of reps with quarterback Brock Purdy and the first-team offense as the primary reason why.
And it appears San Francisco’s Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young agrees.
Young joined KNBR 680’s “Tolbert & Copes” on Wednesday and discussed what he wants to see from Aiyuk moving forward.
“Brandon [Aiyuk] needs to own it. Like, I’ve come back. I’ve missed camp, and now it’s not happening. So I have to take that on myself. There’s no blame other than yourself. Own it. It’s me. I will fix this.”
Steve Young wants to see BA accept his past and get this 49ers offense… pic.twitter.com/zjGgWBJWuQ
— KNBR (@KNBR) September 26, 2024
“Brandon has got to answer … Brandon has got to look it in the eye,” Young said. “I’m sure there’s things … maybe the plays haven’t been called much, maybe there’s some odd things on certain downs where he wasn’t the primary when they thought he would be. But in the end, the full measure of what’s happened, Brandon needs to own it. Like ‘I’ve come back, I missed camp and now it’s not happening, so I have to take that on myself.’ There’s no blame other than yourself, own it. ‘It’s me, I will fix this.'”
While the 49ers deal with injuries to stars like tight end George Kittle, wide receiver Deebo Samuel, running back Christian McCaffrey and others, San Francisco will lean on Aiyuk — and fellow wideout Jauan Jennings — on offense until the unit can return to full strength.
And if Aiyuk is to return to WR1 form, Young believes he needs to be honest about his situation.
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