The San Francisco 49ers drafting Ricky Pearsall speaks volumes about their plans with Brandon Aiyuk. After a lot of drama, the 49ers receiver showed up to the training camp, only to watch from the sidelines. A lot of back and forth happened and the 49ers offered him a $14.1 million deal, which was clearly not enough for the Bay Area wideout.

Now, NFL analysts Mike Florio and Chris Simms have given their views on what the future holds for Aiyuk. Safe to say that it’s not spelled out positive. “It’s hard to picture improving your team though without him,” is what Kyle Shanahan said about Aiyuk at the time of the draft. However, the situation has changed now, and Chris Simms explained why.

“Aiyuk, I don’t see what’s going to go on there. I don’t see any like, ‘Oh there’s some way he’ll get a new contract,” said Simms on NFL on NBC. “He’s going to play hardball sure, but I don’t see the 49ers bending much. I don’t Aiyuk has a ton to stand on. It’s one special year of play and I wouldn’t say I don’t know if it was even that special last year.”

Last season, Aiyuk had 1,342 yards and 7 touchdowns over 75 receptions. Therefore, Aiyuk is crucial to Brock Purdy’s success and Kyle Shanahan admitted it earlier. That’s because most of those 75 targets would have been duds if it wasn’t for an experienced receiver like BA. Why? Because more than 80% of the throws that Purdy made to Aiyuk resulted in a first down or a TD.

Moreover, Trent Williams holding out has given the team a jump scare. It seems like all of a sudden, everyone in the league is following the Nick Bosa approach to get a huge paycheck. However, the 49ers’ problems don’t stop there. After 2 seasons, Purdy and Kittle’s contracts are expiring and the 49ers will have to devise new ways to get out of that hoopla. However, contractual issues aren’t something that Chris Simms is worried about at all. He simply doesn’t think that Aiyuk is special.

“I can’t think of highlights where I just go, ‘Oh Aiyuk caught a 5-yard pass or a slant route and made it all happen all himself. That’s not who he is. He’s depended on the team and the system to a degree,” said Simms. “They drafted Shanahan’s guy Ricky Pearsall at the end of the first round, what do you think they’re going to do with him this year? They’re going to groom him to take over.”

Simms calling Aiyuk a system WR is worthy of the fans’ attention. After all, a year ago, many in the NFL world called Brock Purdy a system quarterback, and he proved to be more than just that. Despite such a label, it is not reasonable to dismiss Aiyuk’s contribution to the team which allowed them to reach Super Bowl finals. But, what happens if the Aiyuk and the 49ers cannot come to the same terms?

Can the San Francisco 49ers really prevail without Brandon Aiyuk?

Teams like the Commanders, the Patriots, and some others were interested in the WR but the squad declined. It was evident that they wanted to keep the receiver. However, with Ricky Pearsall’s addition, a cloud of uncertainty has darkened over the WR. But, objectively speaking Aiyuk is better than the rookie, at least on paper. They have nearly the same build, but Aiyuk has more experience, a key weapon in the dominant NFL realm.

At the peak of his college career, Pearsall had 65 receptions, 965 yards, and 4 touchdowns and BA had the same amount of receptions during the 2019 season with ASU with 8 touchdowns. Not only this, but both receivers have been the first-round picks. While Aiyuk and his experience are crucial for the Niners, Pearsall is a wise addition to the team as well.

After all, coach Shanahan has proved that he can take a rookie and turn him into a phenom. Just look at Brock Purdy’s career trajectory, which provides evidence for the same. Moreover, Pearsall is reportedly doing great in practice and Shanahan thinks that the WR “definitely understands our [49ers] standard.”

“We’ve eased him in, he’s gone through that real well. He’s been real diligent with his rehab and stuff. I know his reps went up a little bit more today, but it was a low day overall and I think tomorrow will be a much bigger challenge. It’s a higher practice. We have one-on-ones tomorrow. But I’ve been real happy with his progress so far,” said Shanahan on Friday.

This indicates that the fire that Aiyuk started is going dimmer by the minute. Only time will tell how things will unfold between the WR and the team. But, one thing is for sure, the presence and execution from Aiyuk’s side are vital for turnover in the San Francisco camp. What are your thoughts regarding the same? Let us know in the comments.