49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has said he finds joint practices in the preseason to be more valuable than the games. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who’s had a very good preseason, doesn’t find the same value in the sessions.
Speaking candidly with reporters after Thursday’s session, Aiyuk said he believed the practices were boring.
“It was good work going against somebody different. Different environment,” Aiyuk said. “But, eh. I feel like it was a waste of time, personally.”
When a reporter said the practices seemed boring, Aiyuk agreed.
“It was boring for sure,” he said.
While Aiyuk may not have been particularly excited about joint practices during the dog days of the preseason, he said he understands the coaching staff has a process and that reps are valuable no matter what.
“It was a little bit of like day one stuff, the basic stuff,” Aiyuk said via Tracy Sandler of the Fangirl Sports Network. “I know I was getting a little irritated, having only touched the ball like three times in the past two days, but that’s beside the point. Kyle (Shanahan) and them always got their own agenda on what they’re trying to get done and accomplish here. So you just take it, getting better every single rep, and then figure that out later on.”
The candor from Aiyuk is actually refreshing, and his understanding of the coaching process shows growth in an area that might’ve gotten him in some trouble a year ago.
Regardless of how he feels about joint practices, Aiyuk has been one of the 49ers’ best players throughout camp and his connection with quarterback Trey Lance makes him a significant key for San Francisco’s offense this season. As long as he’s not bored come the regular season the 49ers and their third-year wide receiver should be just fine.
