The San Francisco 49ers' contract saga with Brandon Aiyuk appears as if it has a long way to go yet.

General manager John Lynch shut down any suggestions of a trade on Monday while saying the Niners were "actively talking" with the All-Pro wide receiver over an extension.

Aiyuk did not respond kindly to Lynch's comments in a post on social media, but he appears to have been more cordial with head coach Kyle Shanahan in recent meetings.

Asked about the situation with his leading receiver at the NFL's annual meetings on Tuesday, Shanahan revealed he has seen Aiyuk a few times at the 49ers facility and also checked in with the 2020 first-round pick at an unexpected place.

Shanahan disclosed that he bumped into Aiyuk on vacation in Cabo last week, adding: "He's doing good. Hopefully we get this done sooner rather than later."

That optimism may have to be dialed down a touch. Shanahan is well aware that the 49ers' negotiations with their star players typically run right up until training camp. Nick Bosa's negotiation last year is the exception, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year did not sign his record-setting extension until a few days before the 49ers' season opener.

But with the draft now under a month away, time is running out for any team that wants to test the 49ers' resolve with Aiyuk. The 49ers would almost certainly want 2024 draft compensation in any trade involving Aiyuk. If, as seems likely, the draft passes without Aiyuk being traded, talks should then accelerate towards a long-term deal.

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It could be very useful.