The San Francisco 49ers made a big statement in Week 1, dominating the Pittsburgh Steelers en route to a 30-7 victory. A big game from star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was a big factor in the win, and he praised quarterback Brock Purdy for giving him the confidence to go out there and play well.
Aiyuk was the best player on the field for the 49ers in their season opener, hauling in eight receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns in their win over Pittsburgh.
It is one of the best games of Aiyuk’s career, and the fourth-year wideout explained on Tuesday that Purdy’s confidence in him played a big role in his productive game.
“He’s done a great job since the moment he came in there and started his first start,” Aiyuk said Tuesday morning on KNBR’s “Murph and Mac” show. “I’m enjoying playing with him. He gives us confidence every single week. He gives us a bunch of confidence. So much confidence going in every game that not only are we going to win the game, but you have a chance to have a great game as well. So I’m loving playing with him.”
That’s certainly a resounding vote of confidence for Purdy, but he deserves it to this point. In their Week 1 win, Purdy became the first quarterback in NFL history to win the first six regular season games of his career while throwing at least two touchdown passes in each game.
Purdy’s performance in his own right was very solid, throwing for 220 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers. As good as his individual performance was, it seems like Aiyuk at least believes that his leadership skills are perhaps even more valuable to the 49ers.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.