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More than just a hamstring injury helped San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk see limited action in a 41-33 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday – he also gets more competition for Trent Sherfield’s playing time, according to coach Kyle Shanahan.
“He’s got a better person behind him this year at training camp and with Aiyuk missing a bit of time and how well Trent Sherfield played, and especially with Aiyuk missing a bit of time before this game, it was not a very difficult decision (to play Sherfield anymore), ”Shanahan said Monday, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “We were going to be running them throughout the game. I think Trent ended up having 29 games and I think Aiyuk had 25. So that was about how we expected it to be. . We wanted to share the time like that. “
Still, it was a bit of a surprise for a first-round pick who had a promising rookie season in 2020 to go without a single target in the game. It certainly wasn’t like the 49ers were having trouble throwing the ball – Jimmy Garoppolo delivered what was a solid performance (17 of 25, 314 yards).
As Shanahan noted, Sherfield made the most of his preseason action with 156 receiving yards on just five catches, including an 80-yard touchdown. Sunday against the Lions, he only landed his second career TD in an appearance by rookie quarterback Trey Lance.
Shanahan said he would discuss Aiyuk’s playing time in Week 1 with the second-year wide receiver “as soon as possible.” The division of play between Aiyuk and Sherfield will have its next look Sunday in Philadelphia. Last year against the Eagles, Aiyuk calmed down as a receiver but notched a 38-yard TD rushing in a 25-20 loss.
“I thought Aiyuk would get a few more kick returns and I thought he would get a few more targets, but when the guys are shooting that much, 50/50, I don’t really ask who’s in it, I’m good with it. ‘either gets the ball back,’ Shanahan said.
If the 49ers WR Deebo Samuel’s first game (nine catches, 189 yards) is any indication of his upcoming season, targets between Aiyuk and Sherfield will be all the more valuable.
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