Late in the second quarter of Monday night’s game between the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets, Brock Purdy threw a seemingly perfect pass that slipped through Brandon Aiyuk’s hands in the back of the end zone.
If caught, the touchdown likely would have given San Francisco a 20-7 lead heading into halftime. Instead, the 49ers had to settle for a field goal and a 16-7 advantage.
While 49ers fans were surely disappointed with Aiyuk, perhaps no one was more upset about it than Peyton Manning. Reacting to the play during ESPN’s ManningCast feed, the Hall of Fame quarterback ripped the 2023 second-team All-Pro selection, alluding to the contract negotiations that kept him sidelined for a majority of San Francisco’s training camp.
“There’s a reason for training camp! You need it! We need the reps!” Manning said while discussing the play with his brother, Eli Manning, and former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. “Get those contracts done earlier so we can get in training camp and you don’t drop balls on opening night.”
Peyton Manning FIRED UP about Brandon Aiyuk’s dropped pass in the endzone. #ManningCast pic.twitter.com/OYBn8bMZKv
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 10, 2024
Despite the drop, the 49ers went on to win the game 32-19, moving to 1-0 on the season. Aiyuk, meanwhile, was well compensated for his two catches for 28 yards, having recently signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension with San Francisco.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.