SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The intense and dramatic contract discussions between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk have concluded, returning to the initial point of negotiation over six months ago. Both sides have agreed to a long-term partnership.

On Thursday, Aiyuk and the Niners reached an agreement on a four-year, $120 million contract extension, ensuring his presence in San Francisco until the 2028 season, sources confirmed to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

This deal mirrors the offer presented by the 49ers on August 12, league sources revealed to Schefter.

With this agreement, Aiyuk joins Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill as one of the top five highest-paid receivers in the NFL, earning an average annual salary of $30 million.

This deal follows a period of heightened tension in the negotiations, with the Niners publicly affirming Aiyuk's health on Wednesday. Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch indicated their expectation for Aiyuk's participation in practice.

Aiyuk's absence from practice on Wednesday and Thursday raised concerns about potential disciplinary action. However, the agreement reached on Thursday ensures that Aiyuk will have the next 10 days to prepare for the season opener against the New York Jets on September 9th.

For almost two years before the extension was finalized, the Niners maintained they always intended to re-sign Aiyuk. There was significant doubt about that outcome in recent weeks after the wideout requested a trade just before the start of training camp on July 23.

Shortly after, the Niners -- for the first time -- appeared serious about trading Aiyuk.

With strong interest from the Pittsburgh Steelers , Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots , the 49ers and Aiyuk considered their options. To facilitate a trade, a team would have to satisfy both the Niners' requirements as well as Aiyuk's demands for a lucrative contract extension.

While each of those teams was seemingly able to meet one of those conditions, neither could satisfy both, which encouraged the Niners and Aiyuk to return to the negotiating table to resolve their differences.

The outcome was a long-awaited agreement that ensures the Niners' top wide receiver isn't leaving as San Francisco strives for the franchise's sixth Lombardi Trophy, a goal that has eluded them in four of the past five seasons.

The 49ers are not only retaining their star receiver for another Super Bowl run, but they have also secured him for the next five years, ensuring he can continue to build a strong connection with quarterback Brock Purdy as a core component of their offensive strategy.

Aiyuk's return signifies the potential for the Niners to field the same starting offensive lineup as last season. He joins forces with fellow wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings , while rookies Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing continue to develop. Aiyuk's breakout performance in 2023 saw him lead the Niners in receiving yards (1,342) and rank ninth in the NFL in receiving yards per game (83.9). He also placed second in yards per reception (17.9) and first in yards per target (12.9), earning him a second-team All-Pro selection.

The path to this agreement involved significant time and effort from both parties. Following the 49ers' Super Bowl LVIII loss in February, Aiyuk expressed his desire to remain in San Francisco if the circumstances were right.

When asked to elaborate on those ideal circumstances, Aiyuk simply stated, "being a champion."

After the 49ers' Super Bowl loss, the situation became more complex as General Manager John Lynch publicly emphasized the team's commitment to paying Aiyuk. Following these comments, Aiyuk's social media post seemed to suggest that actions speak louder than words.

The NFL draft in April marked a significant moment in the ongoing discussions. Lynch and Shanahan made it clear that they would consider offers for their receiver, like any other player, but they were committed to keeping Aiyuk on the team.

"I've stated this repeatedly: our hope is that he's with the Niners for the long haul," Lynch said in April. "We're working towards that. ... I can say we're having productive conversations, and I'll leave it at that."

Due to this stance, any potential trade involving Aiyuk would necessitate a significant return for San Francisco. During the draft weekend, no deals were close, and Lynch and Shanahan reiterated their desire to retain Aiyuk, even after drafting Pearsall with their first-round pick (No. 31 overall).

The Niners' selection of Pearsall offered some insights into the dynamic between the team and Aiyuk, who played briefly alongside Pearsall at Arizona State. Immediately after the pick, Aiyuk texted Lynch and Shanahan, "Solid pick, gotta be honest."

While Aiyuk skipped the team's offseason program, he also didn't attend the full-squad minicamp in early June, resulting in over $101,000 in fines as negotiations hit a temporary roadblock.

Meanwhile, other receivers across the league secured lucrative contracts:

• The Philadelphia Eagles kept DeVonta Smith with a three-year, $75 million deal, with $51 million guaranteed;
• Detroit 's Amon-Ra St. Brown inked for four years, $120.012 million, with $77 million guaranteed;
• Miami 's Jaylen Waddle got three years for $84.75 million, with $76 million guaranteed;
• Philadelphia's A.J. Brown signed a three-year $96 million deal, with $84 million guaranteed;
• Minnesota 's Justin Jefferson got a four-year, $140 million deal, with $110 million guaranteed;
• and Dallas ' CeeDee Lamb signed a four-year deal earlier this week for $136 million, including $100 million guaranteed).

These deals also provided a framework for a potential Aiyuk deal and increased his market value, which ultimately led to his request for a trade.

Just before the Niners opened training camp on July 23, Aiyuk officially requested a trade. Even after that, Lynch insisted that Aiyuk was likely to stay with the team at least through this season, with sources telling ESPN that other teams had contacted the Niners about trading for Aiyuk but were told that the Niners weren't interested in dealing him.

"We fully expect Brandon to be a Niner in the future," Lynch said July 23. "We're always open to listening to offers, but as I said, we expect Brandon to be a key part of our team as he has been and we're excited about that."

Aiyuk then reported to training camp with his teammates, though he didn't participate in any practices. However, he did attend meetings and watched practices from the sidelines.

Despite a turbulent week, an Aiyuk trade to the Steelers or any other team never came to fruition and the two sides resumed negotiations that finally resulted in an extension. Before Thursday's deal, Aiyuk was scheduled to play the 2024 season under the fifth-year option that came standard with the rookie contract he signed in 2020, which would have paid him $14.124 million.

This is the fifth consecutive year that the 49ers have extended a contract to one of their star players either just before training camp or during: tight end George Kittle (2020), linebacker Fred Warner (2021), Samuel (2022) and Nick Bosa (2023).

Aiyuk is only the second first-round selection (along with Bosa) the Niners have made under Lynch and Shanahan to sign a second contract with the team.