With contract negotiations at a halt, the 49ers around mid-August gave Brandon Aiyuk an ultimatum for the 2024 NFL season.
ESPN's Adam Schefter joined "The Pat McAfee Show" on Monday morning and revealed new details about the contract saga that ultimately pushed a deal to get done.
"Obviously, there was a whole host of things that went on with [Aiyuk] during the course of the summer," Shefter said. "Everybody knows the history, the talks the 49ers had with the [Pittsburgh] Steelers, the talks they had with Brandon Aiyuk.
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"You know Brandon Aiyuk got the five-day letter in the middle of August that he had to practice or he wouldn't be able to play this year? Yeah, he did. ... You get a five-day letter, it means you better get back to practice or the team has the right to place you on the list and you lose the year."
As McAfee noted, deadlines typically result in agreements -- and that proved to be the case for Aiyuk and the 49ers.
After many months of uncertainty, Aiyuk signed a four-year extension with the 49ers on Aug. 29 worth a reported $120 million. He returned to practice Sept. 3 following the Labor Day Weekend -- six days before San Francisco's 2024 season opener against the New York Jets.
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But Aiyuk, Brock Purdy and the team have confidence that the 49ers quarterback and wide receiver "haven't missed a beat" with their connection as they immediately reunited on the practice field over the holiday weekend after Aiyuk's signing.
Schefter seconded that notion, stating Aiyuk "looked good and strong" throughout practice last week, while noting the star wideout's workload might not be a full-go right away.
For Trent Williams, it was a call from 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan that helped end the All-Pro left tackle's contract holdout last Tuesday. For Aiyuk, it appears it was a stern warning from the team that gave him the extra push to finalize a deal.
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