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Whitner shares insight on Aiyuk after sideline chat with 49ers holdout originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Brandon Aiyuk is staying on top of his game — mentally — amid his 49ers holdout.
NBC Sports Bay Area analyst and former San Francisco safety Donte Whitner spoke with the wide receiver at training camp Friday, and revealed a bit about Aiyuk’s mental state during “49ers Training Camp Live” later in the day.
“It went great, and there’s no reason for him to be in an ill mood,” Whitner told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan. “He’s going to get paid at the end of the day. He gets paid to go out and play football at a high level, professionally. And right now, he gets a chance to analyze it and assess things from the sidelines.
“Even while I was sitting and talking with him, he was calling out different formations and different plays from afar. So mentally, he’ll be in tune.”
Aiyuk has been participating in meetings and watching practice as he and the 49ers try to work out a contract extension. Despite reports of Aiyuk requesting a trade last month, the receiver has been in high spirits around camp, most recently going viral for sharing a hug with coach Kyle Shanahan out on the practice field.
While it’s unknown where things currently stand between Aiyuk and the 49ers’ front office, it’s clear the wideout is staying up to speed on everything he can as he sits out of practice in search of a payday. But other 49ers have said that contract negotiations — and their resulting holdouts — impacted their play the following season, with Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa admitting to the fact months after signing their new deals.
“It’s just about getting that cardiovascular and being able to go out there and run and catch the football, and go out and mitigate the risk of getting injured because you need repetition,” Whitner continued. “You need to get hit around, knocked around and practice to build that callus so that you don’t have a long-term injury during the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/whitner-shares-insight-aiyuk-sideline-042635367.html
Author : NBC Sports BayArea
Publish date : 2024-08-04 04:26:35
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