ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 20: Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk #11 of the San Francisco 49ers runs for a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium on December 20, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)It is always impressive when any member of the San Francisco 49ers can challenge a Jerry Rice record. Rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is flirting with one, with two games left.
Rice holds the record for receiving yards by a 49ers rookie with 927, which he did on 47 catches back in 1985. In just 11 games this year, Aiyuk has 59 receptions for 733 yards and five touchdowns. Had he not missed games earlier this year, he’d be on pace for a 1,066 yard rookie year.
The former Arizona State star needs 195 yards to break Rice’s record. The 49ers are on the road at the Arizona Cardinals this Saturday, and host the Seattle Seahawks to end the season on Jan. 3.
“Going into a game, my mindset is that I’m going to have 200 yards, and then go from there,” Aiyuk said, when asked about the possibility of breaking Jerry Rice’s record. “The mindset is not to worry about that record, but to go have the perfect game, which I’ve yet to do.”
#49ers' Brandon Aiyuk seeks perfect game not Jerry Rice's record; Richard Sherman regaled by teammates; Robert Saleh updates us on Nick Bosa and Dee Ford https://t.co/SmrgN2DPcJ #mercnews
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“If at the end of the season I look up and the record is broken, that would be pretty exciting, but we have two games left and that’s the main focus right now,” Brandon Aiyuk continued, per The Mercury News.
When asked if he wants Aiyuk to pass him in the San Francisco 49ers record books, Rice said “Hell yeah! Of course and I’ll be the first one to congratulate this guy.”
Aiyuk will have to beat his season average of just over 66 yards per game to get there, but he’s very capable. He’s had a significant uptick in production in the back half of the season, with 568 yards over his last six games.
The Niners’ game against the Cardinals on Saturday afternoon kicks off at 4:30 p.m. ET.
