San Francisco 49ers Hall of Famer Steve Young provided a unique take on wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s struggles during an interview on KNBR’s “Tolbert and Copes” show.
Aiyuk, who signed a $120 million extension before the season following tense negotiations, has underperformed through six games with no touchdowns and only 23 catches on 41 targets. Fans and analysts have criticized his lack of production.
During the discussion, co-host Tom Tolbert noted Aiyuk’s slow start despite his new contract and argued that Aiyuk should play like other top-paid NFL receivers. Young responded with a colorful analogy to describe head coach Kyle Shanahan’s approach toward Aiyuk:
“You ever just wonder about Kyle a little bit? I feel like he puts people in the corner with the dunce cap on sometimes,” Young said. “You know how, in the old days, they put your nose in the corner?”
Young added humor by suggesting that Tolbert likely faced similar discipline as a kid, mentioning that his own first-grade teacher once locked him in a closet. He then returned to his point about Shanahan’s handling of Aiyuk.
“I’m sure [Shanahan] doesn’t mean to, because he’s out there every week trying to slay the dragon, and he needs everybody, every bit of help,” Young continued. “But it feels like the plays called are a combination that should help people thrive. I think Brandon needs to demand it in that way—‘I’ve done the work. I’m ready for this. Give me the freaking ball now.’ It feels like there’s been a lack of clarity around exactly what plays get him the ball.”
Young’s comments reflect lingering concerns about Aiyuk’s role in the offense, especially since Shanahan previously benched him early in the 2021 season. Although Aiyuk shined in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals with eight catches for 147 yards, he has yet to surpass 50 receiving yards in any of the other five games this season and has recorded only two catches in three of those contests.
Despite these struggles, Young remains optimistic about Aiyuk’s potential.
“I gotta believe that … like the Chiefs last year, his game will get better and better. And then by the end of the season, we’re gonna say, ‘Freaking one of the best guys in the league.’ And if it’s not, I think we’ll all be super bummed about it.”
The interview took an amusing turn as Young and Tolbert swapped stories about old-fashioned punishments, with Tolbert recalling a wooden paddle incident and Young remembering getting his knuckles hit with a ruler.
Aiyuk and the 49ers will face a critical test in their upcoming Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, with kickoff scheduled for 1:25 p.m. on Fox.
