The San Francisco 49ers are dealing with a couple of huge contract disputes in the early days of training camp. Both Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams are holding out for new contracts. Aiyuk and Williams are both hugely important players on the 49ers offense, so the team is heavily incentivized to get some deals done. However, they may not have enough money to pay everyone.
49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is optimistic that the team will agree to new contracts with these players, but admits that the situation has been stressful.
“Overall, it's a tough situation,” Samuel said when talking about Aiyuk's contract hold out. “Going through it in [2022], it's just some things you take personal that don't need to be taken personal. Overall, it's just a stressful process because, at the end of the day, you want what you think you deserve, and your team got to work with this team, and it's so much back-and-forth.”
Ultimately, Samuel just wants his friend to get paid and return to practice. It's understandable that the uncertainty surrounding the situation can be stressful.
“It's just like sometimes it gets stressful because, at the end of the day, you want to be out here with your guys, and want to be out here practicing. But overall, you want what you deserve. So, at the end of the day, something has to give, something has to work out. But I feel like something's gonna happen, hopefully.”
Here's hoping that the 49ers can agree to a new contract with Aiyuk, and Williams too, before the start of the regular season. Otherwise they may be without some of their top offensive players.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan gave vague update on Brandon Aiyuk's absence from 49ers training camp practice
The lack of certainty around the situation may be one of the most stressful aspects. Unfortunately, head coach Kyle Shanahan has not been able to provide much clarity to his team, or the media, on the matter.
He gave a vague answer last week when talking about whether Aiyuk was holding out of training camp practice with a bogus injury.
“I don’t really know what it means,” Shanahan told reporters, per SI.com. “It just means his back is sore today and his neck is sore. So going to stay out of practice, which obviously is a hold in. And so we expected it, and I understand the situation fully.”
“I don’t think we’ve had a hold in,” Shanahan continued. “So I don’t see much difference between a hold in and a hold out. It’s probably better for them to hold in because so they don’t get fines since you can’t rescind them like you could back in the day. But I don’t see much difference. . . . I think it’s better for them I think too that at least they can be around here, in meetings and stuff like that.”
If the 49ers do eventually agree to terms on a new contract with Aiyuk, it will be helpful that he's already been in the facility.
“Hopefully, when things work out, it just makes it a little bit of a smoother transition,” Shanahan concluded.
Follow Us
Subscribe
