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I'm in a whole other place [compared to last season]," quarterback Trey Lance said on KNBR after Friday's practice. "I can't even imagine going back to last year. But yeah, everything has definitely slowed down."
Lance isn't the only San Francisco 49ers player who has made mental leaps this offseason.
Brandon Aiyuk has draw consistent praise from his teammates, with many saying the third-year wideout is having an amazing training camp.
Aiyuk also joined KNBR on Friday. He was asked to discuss his progress compared to last year.
"Last year was my first real training camp (COVID limited things in 2020)," Aiyuk shared, "so being able to leave, and come back, and know what to expect coming into training camp helped with everything—physically, mentally. Physically, being able to be in the right spot. Mentally, being able to understand what it's going to take on a day-to-day basis.
"On my days off, like yesterday, just being able to just take time to myself, and just kind of unwind, and release some of the tension that you have from training camp days. And be able to come back and start the weeks refreshed, and start over again, and just continue to build."
The chemistry between Lance and Aiyuk is building. The two spent a lot of time together this offseason, working out together and getting to know each other.
"He worked his butt off this offseason," Lance said of Aiyuk. "He was locked in every single day, completely. I don't even want to say different from last year, but just from a mindset standpoint, you could tell by the way he came to work every single day in the offseason. Whether it was Monday, Sunday, Saturday, whatever it was, he was taking care of his body, getting IVs, getting a massage, whatever it was.
"The work came first for him, this whole entire offseason. I've been telling people all offseason this is going to be a big year for B.A. Just the way he worked, the way he went about his business. Honestly, Deebo not being there for OTAs, I think was awesome for him. He led that room and still is leading that room. And he got to show the young guys how to do it."
Aiyuk went on to share what he saw from Lance this offseason, and why he believes the quarterback exudes leadership traits.
"I told him, 'You were born to play the quarterback position,'" Aiyuk said. "Just the way that he carries himself, just how he acts. When we were hanging out in Southern California, just the way he goes from day to day, you can tell he's a quarterback if you didn't know who he was. And you start to see it on the field.
"When we don't hit on something, he comes back, and he's just talking. You can tell it's not forced, it's not like he has to do that, but he just wants to talk. He just wants to hear what you think or what he may want you to do next time. But it's a natural leadership. He's the definition of quarterback in this league."
Lance will have a potent one-two punch at the wide receiver position thanks to Aiyuk's improvement and
Deebo Samuel finally being signed to a long-term extension. That's going to open things up for other offensive weapons.
"I think everybody's starting to kind of click, and we're getting better, and we see it every day," Aiyuk added.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Aiyuk below.
In 2020, the San Francisco 49ers traded up from the No. 31 overall pick to the No. 25 spot with their sights set on a wide receiver brimming with potential. It was the first year of COVID, so NFL teams conducted their drafts remotely, providing fans with a unique glimpse into team decision-makers' makeshift home war rooms.
Almost immediately after Aiyuk heard his name called, fans caught a glimpse of the reactions from head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.
In honor of Draft Day, let's throw it back to Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch's reaction to drafting Brandon Aiyuk
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
According to Sports Illustrated contributor Noah Strackbein, who writes for "All Steelers" on the network, there's a level of confidence within the Pittsburgh Steelers organization that they can strike a deal for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk—and at a bargain rate.
"According to a team source, the Steelers and 49ers trade talks are real," Strackbein wrote. "While nothing is imminent, they 'would be surprised if it didn't happen.' But it all comes down to compensation, and Pittsburgh isn't willing to budge much on price."
While it seems unlikely that the 49ers would part ways with Aiyuk for anything less than a first-round draft
A questionable rumor surfaced on Wednesday regarding the Pittsburgh Steelers' interest in San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Sports Illustrated contributor Noah Strackbein reported that the AFC team was seemingly confident they could pull off a trade for Aiyuk.
However, the credibility of this report comes into question due to the assertion that the Steelers believe they could acquire Aiyuk at a bargain price, possibly in exchange for a second-round draft pick and a late-round selection.
RELATED: Steelers believe they can acquire Aiyuk at a
