Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or Chris Blair

Monday, March 31, 3:16 PM

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the San Francisco 49ers are not expected to trade wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee). The sixth-year pro will be due a bonus of $22.85 million on Tuesday if he is on the team's roster. Aiyuk exploded in 2023 with a 75-1,342-7 line and signed a four-year $120 million contract extension as a reward. However, a torn ACL and MCL in Week 7 of 2024 cut his season short, though it's worth noting he wasn't overly productive before the injury. The 49ers have already flipped one star wideout this offseason, sending Deebo Samuel Sr. to the Washington Commanders, so it is in the team's best interest to hold Aiyuk despite the hit to their cap. There is still no timetable for the 27-year-old's return, but he recently got good reviews regarding his recovery. He'll compete with teammates George Kittle and Jauan Jennings for targets when he's healthy.

Sunday, August 18, 2:24 AM

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Chris Blair finished with 91 receiving yards and four catches on five targets in a 13-12 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. The former XFL star stepped things up in preseason Week 2, doubling his yards and targets from preseason Week 1. He remains low on the totem pole with the depth the Falcons currently have at wideout. Still, in the two games he's played this preseason, he's been impressive with six catches and 136 receiving yards on eight targets while averaging about 22 yards per reception. Look for Blair to keep trying to climb the depth chart next week when the Falcons take on the Jaguars on Friday.