Why Brock Purdy is So Confident in Brandon Aiyuk
SANTA CLARA -- Brandon Aiyuk quietly has become Brock Purdy's favorite receiver.
While opposing teams focus on stopping the 49ers' stars -- Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle -- Purdy is focused on getting the ball to Aiyuk as much as possible, in any situation. And that's because Purdy trusts Aiyuk to get open and catch the ball.
On Tuesday, I asked Purdy to describe his confidence in Aiyuk. Here's what Purdy said, courtesy of the 49ers P.R. department.
PURDY: "Yeah, I have all the confidence in the world in B.A. You watch the film, the separation that he creates, you get the ball in his hands, obviously the second gear that he has to pull away from DBs or whoever's on the field. He does it all. And I think he's just one of the most underrated receivers I think in the NFL. We have so many playmakers, like [TE George] Kittle, [RB Christian] McCaffrey, [WR] Deebo [Samuel], but B.A. and what he's done in his production as a receiver, he's got it. And so, I have all the confidence in the world in him and he's always where he needs to be and as a quarterback that's all you could ask for.'
Q: He was just saying that he feels like you have a really good feel for how he's going to run every route. How do you get to that place with a receiver and how did you make it work with him specifically?
PURDY: "I know people say this all the time, but it's just reps on reps. Practice. It started out I think in camp for us when I got back it was just studying how B.A. runs, how he breaks in and out of breaks. He is different from Deebo, he is different from George. And so, sort of just taking note of that. And then B.A.'s just got length, man, he’s got range. And so, I know where he can get to and where I shouldn't throw the ball and where he's not going to be. And then obviously the games and stuff and the experience that we had last year together, we've built on that, I feel like. But, throwing with anticipation is huge for me. And so, he understands that. And when I let the ball go he gets to where he needs to be and we've made it happen."
Q: When you say studying how he runs, what do you mean exactly by that?
PURDY: "Yeah, like certain breaks. There's receivers that run up and chop, chop and then break out, so it may take another hitch or so. With B.A., I feel like he can cut on a dime and get in and out of things pretty quickly. And then just his speed, his explosion off the line gets DBs to push back and that makes it easier to create separation. And as a quarterback, I can sort of see where he is going to be. It makes it easier for me. So, those are the little things as a quarterback what you look and study for on film."
