Aiyuk turning into all-around player, Shanahan says

Brandon Aiyuk caught 60 passes for 748 yards and five touchdowns while playing in 12 games as a rookie a year ago.

Heading into Sunday’s road game against the Seattle Seahawks, Aiyuk has 32 receptions for

432 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games.

A sophomore slump? Not according to coach Kyle Shanahan.

“I don’t think it’s close,” the 49ers head coach said Friday. “He’s a much better player right now. He’s better in the run game, better in the pass game. Much more consistent. I think he’s getting better each week going on four or five weeks in a row. Stats can sometimes tell you the answers but by no means do they tell you all of the answers. There’s plenty of time stats will fool you, but we’ve got a lot more confidence in him now than we did last year.”

Or for that matter, earlier this season, when Aiyuk was running behind

Trent Sherfield and was being chided on a weekly basis by Shanahan to improve his practice consistency. That’s all in the rear-view mirror, and Aiyuk’s production will be important against Seattle with Deebo Samuel officially listed as out with a groin strain.

“I’m getting better. Definitely getting better,” Aiyuk said. “I’ve come a long way compared to where I was at this point last year. When I came in I played a lot off natural ability and talent without a full understanding of what was going on on offense or defense.”

A prime example came late in the first half of a 34-26 win over Minnesota last week with the 49ers trailing 14-7.

On third-and-11, a precise route by Aiyuk and a perfect pass from Jimmy Garoppolo resulted in a 24-yard gain to the 6-yard line. It set up a 3-yard scoring pass from Garoppolo to Jauan Jennings to the score with 22 seconds to play.

“I thought that was the best route that he’s had since he’s been here,” Shanahan said. “And he needed to do it, because of not he would have been squeezed inside where (lineabacker Anthony) Barr was waiting and it would have been a tip or a pick. He ran the perfect route, Jimmy ripped it in there, and he looked so aggressive after the catch. He’s got the mindset where he’s taking his talent to another level.”

Aiuyk said it’s a route he’s run incorrectly in the past, and that “when stuff goes wrong, you learn from it. It was awesome to do that rep the right way.”

Against Minnesota, Aiyuk had three catches for 91 yards, and also had a 37-yard gain on a scoring drive that came on thirdand-13.