SANTA CLARA — The 49ers were given four consecutive days off at the conclusion of practice last Thursday.
It became known that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk had agreed to a four-year contract extension through the 2028 NFL season just as the 49ers were taking an extended break.
On Saturday morning, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and Aiyuk got together for the first time on the practice field since last season.
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Purdy said it did not take him long to get reacquainted with Aiyuk’s style of route-running.
“He’s a lot more explosive, and his hips are more mobile, so he can break down and get in and out in any direction,” Purdy said on Friday.
“So that was a good day for me to just get back in sync with seeing how he moves and feeling it out again, so that this week at practice we could pick up where we left off.”
Aiyuk had his breakout year in Purdy’s first full season as the 49ers’ starting quarterback. Aiyuk caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns.
San Francisco 49ers
Aiyuk parlayed that success on the field into a five-year contract, including this season, that totals $134.1 million.
The 49ers open the regular season against the New York Jets on Monday night at Levi’s Stadium, and Purdy believes he and Aiyuk will be able to quickly pick up where they left off.
“Throwing with him for the last week or so, it all feels pretty normal,” Purdy said. “I can say all that now, but when (the game begins) we’ll find out.”
The 49ers have their base plays that are subject to be run in any game they play. But they have also installed another set of plays that are meant to succeed specifically against the Jets’ defense.
Purdy was asked if there have been any instances of miscommunication with Aiyuk on the practice field. After all, Aiyuk sat out every practice of training camp while his contract situation remained unresolved.
“We have new plays in, so everyone is kind of feeling it out,” Purdy said. “I guess there’s that kind of stuff. But when it comes to our base (offense) and our route tree and concepts and him running and me throwing him out of his breaks, I’m not going to lie: It feels pretty normal. It feels pretty good.”
Of course, Aiyuk is not the only player on the 49ers’ offense who was not on the field during training camp and the preseason.
Left tackle Trent Williams held out for a new contract, which was delivered this week. Running back Christian McCaffrey returned to practice this week after missing a month with a calf strain and Achilles condition.
Receiver Jauan Jennings and offensive linemen Aaron Banks and Jake Brendel also missed practice time.
Purdy said all the shared experiences of last season should enable the 49ers’ offense to avoid major issues early in the season.
“We all understand how we move, how we operate and how we need to play within the system with each other,” Purdy said.