Aiyuk is set to earn $14.124 million in 2024 under a team-exercised fifth-year option, which is well below the market value for top receivers—a market that has surged this offseason. Deebo Samuel, Aiyuk's teammate and friend, empathizes with his situation, having navigated a similar process two years ago before securing his own new deal.
Samuel joined NFL Network's Omar Ruiz and David Carr after Monday's practice to discuss how he has supported Aiyuk during this challenging period and the advice he has extended.
"Overall, it's a tough situation," Samuel said. "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.
"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."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked if having Aiyuk around during training camp, even if he's not practicing, is beneficial.
"I think it's good when any of these guys have the business part of the contracts going on and everything, I think it's always good to not get too far away from football," Shanahan said. "At least he can be with his teammates here, in meetings, get some work with the strength and conditioning coaches, things like that."
Shanahan added, "Hopefully, when things work out, it just makes it a little bit of a smoother transition."
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