The 49ers went down to the wire dealing with a couple of contract situations in 2024 and that led them to take a different approach this offseason.
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and left tackle Trent Williams sorted out their contracts shortly before the start of the 2024 season, which meant both went into the lineup without working with the team ahead of the year. Both players wound up missing time with injuries and the 49ers slumped out of the playoffs.
This year saw the 49ers move more quickly to secure deals with quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle, and linebacker Fred Wilson. During an interview with Matt Maiocco of NBCSportsBayArea.com, General Manager John Lynch noted that it “takes two to tango” while saying that last year’s experience impacted how the 49ers went about their business.
“I think we made an attempt, like we had done in past years, to take care of business early,” Lynch said, via 49ersWebzone.com. “Do you learn from the previous year? The previous year, we had some stuff go into the season. That wasn’t our motivation, but it did. And so, do you learn? Sure.”
A rash of departures early in the offseason meant this was going to be a different kind of year for the 49ers regardless of how anything else played out, but the extensions give reason to hope that the 49ers can hold onto some of what went right before 2024.
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