The trait that made Brock Purdy and Brandon Aiyuk one of the best duos down the field last year

The San Francisco 49ers didn’t throw the ball down the field as often as other teams when you’re arguing based on volume. Brock Purdy finished tied with Tennesee Titans quarterback Will Levis—who appeared in nine games—at 16th in passing attempts over 20 yards during the 2023 season.

Purdy threw for more touchdowns than anybody and finished second in yards per attempt and completion percentage. According to this graph, Purdy is at the high end of the spectrum when it comes to the percentage of catchable passes over 25 yards:

When you up the yardage from 20 to 25, Purdy slips even further in the volume department. More importantly, his accuracy remains the same.

If you have the time, here’s a five-minute clip of all 29 of Purdy’s attempts over 25 yards:

My takeaway from the video is Purdy’s willingness to give his target a chance.

That target is Brandon Aiyuk. Throw it. The probability of a positive outcome is worth it. Every. Single. Time. The numbers show this, as Aiyuk, despite Purdy’s limited attempts, tied for fifth in receptions over 20 yards with 15. For Reference, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans finished second with 17 receptions but needed 16 more targets to do so.

We saw what happened last season when Purdy put the ball in Aiyuk’s vicinity. You can live with the occasional drop when nine of the other ten plays result in flipping the field if not scoring a touchdown.

But somebody has to throw it. Tying it back to Purdy, there are a few throws in that video above when it looks like Aiyuk is either double-covered or doesn’t stand a chance to come down with the reception due to tight coverage. One of Purdy’s most remarkable traits is understanding that 1-on-1 in the NFL is open.

The 49ers are on the verge of paying Aiyuk a contract worth a lottery pick because he makes those plays. It’s why they paid Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey.

Kyle Shanahan’s play-calling sequencing is why he’s considered the best in the business. In 2023, he had a quarterback who understood the value of attempting the deep ball. Tracking Purdy’s efficiency in 2024 in these same metrics and if Aiyuk remains his top target down the field as the passing game continues to involve will be worth monitoring.

How will Shanahan adjust and adapt his passing game with a couple of rookie weapons, knowing his quarterback won’t have any health limitations heading into the season? Based on Purdy’s success down the field last season, the 49ers would be wise to push the ball down the field with the speedy rookies in the fold.