49ers See Everything Come Together After Series of Setbacks

Brandon Aiyuk speaks during San Francisco 49ers media availability ahead of Super Bowl LVIII in Henderson, Nev., on Feb. 7, 2024. Chris Unger/Getty Images

The San Francisco 49ers have seen things fall into place in less than a week after a turbulent offseason and training camp following their Super Bowl loss in February.

The 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk has a new contract, Trent Williams has worked out a new deal, Christian McCaffrey is healthy, and Ricky Pearsall is recovering after a shooting incident. San Francisco looks ready for takeoff in time for its Sept. 9 contest against the New York Jets in defense of an NFC championship from last season.

“[There’s] a bunch of energy in the building,” 49ers wideout Jauan Jennings told reporters on Tuesday. “To have our team back just means everything, and now we are locked and loaded, ready to go for Week 1.”

Aiyuk, the team’s leading receiver in 2023, ended his nearly seventh-month contract dispute with the 49ers on Aug. 29 when he agreed to a four-year, $120 million contract extension. He'd been outspoken on social media and in public appearances for months regarding a new deal and had even requested a trade.

“I’m not going to lie. I made it a little bit more difficult than it needed to [be] at the end,” Aiyuk told reporters on Tuesday. “I mean, it was like that for me, I’m not going to say the whole entire time, but for about the past month, I think we were pretty good.”

Aiyuk had 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns last season, earning second-team All-Pro honors. He has back-to-back seasons of 75-plus receptions, 1,000 yards, and seven or more touchdowns. His production was high before that, with at least 56 catches, 745 yards, and five touchdowns in each of his first two seasons.

“But that’s the reason why I’m going to get paid in such a manner,” Aiyuk said. “Because that’s the type of player I believe I am, and that’s the player I want to continue to be, and that’s the player that I strive to be. I think it’s more so putting that pressure on myself.”

Williams, an All-Pro offensive tackle, held out of camp and left a major void for the 49ers offense. Last season, the Niners went 0–3 when he didn’t play or finish games due to injury.

“Obviously this deal is done. Get it out the way. How I’ve always conducted myself after signing a deal, I’ve never thought about what I signed for. I thought about what I could get next,” Williams told reporters on Tuesday. “How can I prove that I’m worth that? How can I prove that I’m worth more? It kind of goes right back to that, getting this deal out of the way. I want to play when I’m 40.

“I [saw Andrew Whitworth] win a Super Bowl at 41 or 42. It’s like, ‘Why not me?’ Who knows if you'll get compensated at the top of your position at the age of 40. But, I don’t think that matters to me. If I can still be out there—I just want to continue to knock barriers down,” Williams added.

Williams and company came close in February against the Kansas City Chiefs but lost 25–22 in overtime in Las Vegas. The 49ers and Chiefs will meet again on Oct. 20 during the regular season.

San Francisco hopes to keep McCaffrey healthy through that rematch and beyond after a calf strain hindered him during training camp and the preseason. The star running back returned to practice on Tuesday as the team gets ready for the opener against the Jets.

McCaffrey contended for NFL most valuable player last season with 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground, and 564 yards and seven touchdowns receiving. The Niners will need a strong season from running back Jordan Mason to take some of the workload off McCaffrey.

Pearsall, a rookie receiver, joined the 49ers to ease the load of the receiver corps when Aiyuk’s future was in doubt. A first-round draft pick, Pearsall will miss at least the first four games of the season as he recovers from being shot in the chest on Aug. 31 in a failed robbery in downtown San Francisco.

“By the grace of God, Ricky Pearsall is here with the team and doing really well,” Niners General Manager John Lynch told reporters on Tuesday. “Just wanted to address that situation from a team perspective. We just all feel incredibly blessed.

“I was able to be down at the hospital, and if I heard it from one person, I heard it from so many down there. It’s nothing short of miraculous that he came out of this as good as he did,” Lynch said.

Pearsall’s near tragedy served as motivation for Williams to end the holdout, rejoin the team, and show his support.

“When I saw that happen, I just wanted to be a voice in his ear,” Williams said. “[To] let him know everything will be all right, and be there for the team. A lot of people are probably hurt and confused about what happened, thinking, ‘Am I going to be next?’ So, I wanted to be around for that.”

Williams and the 49ers are back to football for now as Week 1 practices have commenced, and the goal remains clear after the tumult of seven months since the Super Bowl loss. A chance to win a Super Bowl is part of what kept Aiyuk leaning toward San Francisco, too.

“I think I just had a feel for what I wanted,” Aiyuk said. “Not just in terms of money, but in all those things, and ultimately, I wanted to be here. I ended up being here, so I’m happy. I’m good. I’m ready to go.”