Peyton Manning gave Brandon Aiyuk a good beating on Monday night.

The Hall of Famer slammed the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver for dropping Aiyuk’s first touchdown pass of the season just before halftime during their 32-19 win over the New York Jets on Monday.

With 15 seconds left in the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw what appeared to be a perfect pass to Aiyuk in the corner of the end zone. Ayiuk dove to retrieve the ball, but it went right through his hands.

While it wasn’t the easiest move in the world, it’s one that Aiyuk should make more often than not.

Aiyuk spent the entire offseason trying to get a new contract with the 49ers. Though he was finally given a four-year, $120 million contract extension by the franchise late last month, he sat out training camp and at one point requested a trade, which nearly got him sent to the Pittsburgh Steelers at one point. He even admitted that he “made it a little harder than it had to be” when it came to his contract negotiations, though he ultimately got his deal.

Aiyuk didn’t practice with the team until last Tuesday. While Aiyuk certainly practiced alone before rejoining his teammates, Manning doesn’t think the quality was anywhere near good enough.

Aiyuk amassed 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 75 catches last season while helping the 49ers reach the Super Bowl. The 26-year-old enters his fifth season in the league this fall.

While he’ll certainly settle in and eventually hit his stride, his 2024 season is off to a slow start. He had 28 yards on two catches and was targeted five times in the 49ers’ 13-point win over the Jets.