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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy confirmed he’s “talked” with Brandon Aiyuk amid the star wide receiver’s uncertain future.
“I just told him I’ll always have his back and support him in whatever he does,” Purdy told Cam Inman of the Mercury News during a youth football camp on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium. “It’s a business thing, so for me to say anything about that, that’s out of my pay grade.”
Aiyuk has been seeking a new contract all offseason instead of playing on his fifth-year option of $14.12 million this year. For Purdy and company, Aiyuk had a big impact on the offense with 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns.
“He and I talk through things and I hear him out. At the end of the day, what he’s done for me, giving me an opportunity to come in and throw him the ball, I’ll always be thankful for that,” Purdy added.
Aiyuk’s agent, Ryan Williams, denied that his client requested a trade on Sunday. However, the 49ers could be mulling over a trade with Aiyuk as Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio points out.
“Several weeks ago, such calls were met [we’re told] with a response that Aiyuk isn’t available,” Florio wrote. “At this point, with the draft 10 days ago and the situation still unresolved, why not make the call again?”
For now, Purdy will re-focus on getting ready for the 2024 season with or without Aiyuk. Players reported for the 49ers voluntary offseason workouts on Monday.
Brock Purdy: ‘Still Stinging’
Getting back on the field doesn’t put February’s Super Bowl loss 100% in the rearview mirror though Purdy said he’s “excited” about the 2024 season.
“Obviously it’s still stinging about how we ended the year. We were right there,” Purdy said.
Purdy also said he’s reviewed the film from the Super Bowl “a couple of times” since the 25-22 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He threw for 255 yards and a touchdown in the loss.
“It still just stinks, because there were plays out there that could have been made. I feel there were a couple plays, where I’m like, ‘Dude, that could have been the difference.’ But that’s across the board. It’s four quarters of every play matters,” Purdy said.
“But watching it gives me some hope, because we have a lot of guys coming back. It’s like, alright, we were there, in the moment, so we can learn from it and run with that next year,” Purdy said.
Despite Aiyuk’s status in doubt, the 49ers look poised to return most of the same offense from 2023. That unit put up 28.9 points per game en route to the Super Bowl.
“I know guys like Christian [McCaffrey], George [Kittle], and Deebo [Samuel] are all thinking like that. The fact we’ve all played together for a year and a half, that gives us a lot of confidence,” Purdy said.
Brock Purdy Focused on Offensive Mastery & Physical Skills in Workouts
To start with workouts, Purdy wants to improve his mastery of the offense and playbook. He also wants to take in how head coach Kyle Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Brian Griese envision things with the offense.
“I feel it’s a language, in a sense, so how can I get even more familiar with it?,” Purdy said.
“Physically, I think about my mobility in general,” Purdy continued. “Obviously with my arm, and then translating that to my hips and running and becoming a better athlete. There’s another level to that. You look at guys when they enter the NFL, and they evolve as their career goes on. For me, it’s taking that serious.”
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