Getty George Kittle runs out of the smoke on January 14, 2023 in Santa Clara.
Fans of the San Francisco 49ers know how effervescent George Kittle is on and off the football field. Those fans have additionally noticed how Brandon Aiyuk is the opposite.
Aiyuk, however, has already delivered the bold declaration during OTAs that he plans to “really take off” this season following a career-year. Kittle himself has noticed how much more vocal the fourth-year wide receiver has become.
“The energy he has, I think, just kind of figured it out like last year,” Kittle said to the Bay Area media on Tuesday, June 6. “I think he was kind of a quiet assassin, and then he just worked every single day.”
Now, the “quiet assassin” is becoming more vocal — even becoming more talkative during wide receiver drills and leading the wideouts from what Kittle and the Bay Area media has seen.
“And while he might be a little bit louder this year, he still works the same way,” Kittle said. “And he just has this intent about his work, too, which I really appreciate.”
What Else has Kittle Seen From the 1,000-Yard WR From Last Year?
Last season was Aiyuk’s breakthrough campaign.
He improved all three of his totals in the major receiving categories of receptions (78), yards (1,015) and touchdowns (eight). And he did that while starting in all 17 regular season games — a first for his young NFL career.
But what makes Aiyuk tick, especially now from what the “People’s Tight End” has seen?
“He dominates the guy across from him,” Kittle said. “He’s catching everything they throw at him. He’s making big plays and he brings a lot of excitement to our offense. He brings a lot of energy to that offense, too.”
And Aiyuk is energizing the offense as the 49ers have had limited numbers in the receiver room.
“We’re missing a couple of guys who aren’t practicing, but when he’s in the huddle, when he’s out there making plays, the whole team loves that stuff and we love seeing him make those plays,” Kittle said.
Kittle Not the Only 49ers Star Who Has Seen a Changed Aiyuk
Add Deebo Samuel as another 49ers star who’s seen firsthand the ascension Aiyuk has been on.
“Man, you can’t cover him in a phone booth right now,” Samuel said to reporters Tuesday.
Samuel entered the league a year before Aiyuk was taken in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. While a season older than the Arizona State Sun Devil, Samuel himself has witnessed the growth of Aiyuk from his first season to now his fourth minicamp session with the 49ers.
“Just me personally seeing Brandon from a rookie until now, he’s gotten better day in, day out,” Samuel said. “Every season he’s got better, and just like, I’m seeing flashes of stuff that I ain’t seen him do, like how fast he is now, how he’s supposed to be, and the separation that he can get in and out of routes, you can tell he’s really detailed his offseason and ready to go.”
“You can’t cover that man in a phone booth right now.”
Deebo likes what he’s seeing from Brandon Aiyuk this offseason. 👀 (via @NBCS49ers)
But back to Kittle. From what he’s seen, is the All-Pro predicting Aiyuk will surpass his yardage mark from last year?
“He had over 1000 yards last year,” Kittle said. “I’m not a betting guy, but I would say that he’s going to definitely get over 1,000 this year. He’s going to score a lot of touchdowns. He’s going to make a ton of big plays for us.”