“There’s also another way to look at it: Samuel would ostensibly be entering a contract year, is close friends with Aiyuk and badly wants to win a Super Bowl. Samuel had his best season in 2021 (1,770 yards from scrimmage with 14 touchdowns) on the way to his current contract, and a motivated Samuel is the most productive version of him.
Samuel and Aiyuk have been kept in the loop on the Niners’ plans throughout the offseason. Plenty of things can derail a promising season, but San Francisco’s core players understand how the business side of things work, which is why a disappointing season would likely be the product of something besides hurt feelings.