Brandon Aiyuk's decision to at least report for San Francisco 49ers training camp amid his ongoing contract saga was regarded as a sign that negotiations might finally be going in the right direction.
But the wide receiver's presence on the sidelines amid a 'hold-in', with Aiyuk refusing to practice until he and the Niners come to terms on a long-term contract extension could be viewed as a little bit awkward as the impasse in those talks continues.
If there is any awkwardness, it hasn't been evident to this point, with Aiyuk quite happy to stand next to general manager John Lynch during the opening practices of camp.
And head coach Kyle Shanahan is hopeful that Aiyuk at least being in the building will allow him to avoid a disappointing 2024 season, the 49ers having seen edge rusher Nick Bosa fail to reach his usual heights in terms of production last campaign after a holdout that was only ended a few days before the start of the season.
"I think it did, both mentally and performance-wise, just not having practice," Bosa told reporters a few days after the 49ers' Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs when asked about the holdout affecting him."
"Just the stress of having that [the contract] looming and the pressure initially once you get it, I kind of worked through all that later in the year, I started to feel better and I think I was playing my best ball towards the end."
Deebo Samuel has also previously spoken about the negative impact his elongated negotiations with the 49ers had on his 2022 season.
But asked about Aiyuk's hold-in following Monday's first padded practice of camp, Shanahan replied: "I think it's good when any of these guys have the business part of the contracts going on and everything, it's always good to not get too far away from football.
"At least he can be with the teammates here in meetings, get some work in with the strength and conditioning coach things like that. Hopefully when things work out it just makes it a little bit of a smoother transition."
Shanahan's choice of words is also interesting, with his reference to 'when things work out' suggesting there is little doubt in his mind that the two sides will eventually reach a positive resolution.
There's little sign such an end is on the horizon, but at the very least Aiyuk is getting his mind and his body ready for another 'Super Bowl or bust' season even if he does not have the contract under which he would like to play it.
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