It’s almost midnight for the Brandon Aiyuk, C.D. Lamb and Ja-Mar Chase trades.

The NFL is a business that relies on deadlines. Any industry that involves two parties negotiating relies on both parties setting a mutual deadline—and then waiting for it to arrive.

It’s a simple matter. As the clock strikes twelve, the parties move toward their final positions. If one party moves toward the last best offer too soon, that party will be pressured to get more.

That’s likely what’s happening with three receivers waiting on new deals: Brandon Aiyuk of the 49ers, Cedi Lamb of the Cowboys, and Ja’Marr Chase of the Bengals.

Two of them are committed to staying, one is committed to staying. As things stand, both are likely to get new deals at the moment when both teams and agents have agreed that it is the last practical moment to do so.

For Lamb and the Cowboys, it was clear from the start of camp that the deadline was not the start of camp. It was likely the start of the regular season or, more accurately, the start of the practice week before the Week 1 game in Cleveland.

The same could be true for Chase and the Bengals. But last year, quarterback Joe Burrow got his contract three days before the regular-season opener. Unlike Burrow, Chase doesn’t practice. If the Bengals want to be ready for Week 1 against the Patriots, they’ll need to get it done when the players regroup after the preseason break over Labor Day weekend.

With Aiyuk and the 49ers, the fact that things are so quiet (again) increases the likelihood that the 49ers will make a final offer before Week 1 against the New York Jets, and Aiyuk will likely accept. But the 49ers won’t do that now, because Aiyuk’s team will decline the offer and wait for more as the deadline approaches.

And if the Steelers are going to trade Aiyuk, what are they waiting for? It seems like it’s already too late to get him ready for Week 1 in Atlanta. New team, new offense, new coaching staff, new teammates, new city, new everything. In football, there are only a handful of positions that are easy to play, especially on offense. What one player does is tied to the other 10. The less time a new player has to get up to speed, the harder it is.

Turn a blind eye, time “That’s the key word. Time is running out. When the witching hour approaches, we’ll know whether or not this trio of receivers will get new contracts.”