Well-rested 49ers might be meeting Eagles at just the right time (paywall)
“The 49ers will likely meet the Eagles with just one season-opening starter unavailable. Safety Talanoa Hufanga was placed on injured reserve last week with a torn ACL.
As for the Eagles, All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson didn’t play against the Bills due to a groin injury that developed late in the week and All-Pro defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (groin) and linebacker Zach Cunningham (hamstring), their second-leading tackler, didn’t finish the game. Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert is on IR with a forearm injury.
It doesn’t appear to be an ideal time for the Eagles to meet the 49ers. But they thrive in less-than-ideal situations. In their wins against the Bills and Chiefs, they rallied from 17-7 third-quarter deficits. Philadelphia is 5-0 when trailing at halftime this season.”
49ers’ Aiyuk explains viral offseason post, motivation for 2023
“This offseason was the offseason where I kind of put it together,” Aiyuk said. “Mapped it out, planned it all out and got a team together to put together an offseason. So shoutout my team. We put together a great offseason. That’s where a lot of the confidence came, too, from the work that I put in….. That was one of those days where I was chillin’ for a little bit, you’re out of football mode, and then that was like a month into the grind again,” Aiyuk explained. “You start getting back in the mode. I start feeling good. Start getting your body back right. Start just feeling the energy of the new season coming up.
“And I had just got done with a great workout that day. And I thought, ‘I might have to pop it a little bit today.’ “
When 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk became fully aware of his NFL talent
“Realistically, probably the end of last year,” Aiyuk said. “Fully, affirmatively, this last training camp. It’s different. You can come into the league and make plays here and there, but everybody knows when it’s for real, for real, not just spurts here and there. So probably training camp this year and heading into this season.