Brandon Aiyuk has been named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week

After an 8 reception for 129-yard performance that included a pair of touchdowns, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has been named the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Week.

Aiyuk caught all eight of his targets. The only two receivers to have more receiving yardage than Aiyuk in Week 1 were Tyreek Hill of the Dolphins and Justin Jefferson of the Vikings. Those two had 15 and 12 targets, respectively. Unlike those two, Aiyuk also broke three tackles.

A different way to look at Aiyuk’s impressive efficiency was that he did all of this on only 28 routes run. For example, Jefferson had 45 routes run. The 49ers being in control of the game only took away from Aiyuk’s potential for more personal accolades.

Aiyuk was on KNBR earlier this week, and said Brock Purdy has “it” during his appearance:

“He plays with an extreme poise, but also poise and urgency. It’s like a mix of poise and urgency. He’s never too lagged. He’s just always on point. He’s on point. He’s ready to go. He plays with that swag that just bleeds all the way down to the rest of the offense, down to the rest of the team, that everybody can build off. Like I said, he has ‘it.’”

The connection between Purdy and Aiyuk has been consistent in Brock’s starts. The two have obvious chemistry and Purdy’s eyes go toward Aiyuk when he breaks the pocket and looks to scramble.

If that continues, this won’t be the last time Aiyuk wins this award in 2023.