Alex Boone and the 49ers were at an impasse this offseason over contract negotiations for the Pro Bowl guard.
A league source reports that Boone was willing to play out the season for only one dollar, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The only caveat was that he wanted it guaranteed that the team could not franchise him at season’s end.
There would be no way for the 49ers to get away with paying Boone anything less than the veteran’s minimum. Boone however offered to to donate the rest of his salary to charity for the right to enter unrestricted free agency in 2015.
The team eventually did rework Boone’s deal at a substantially higher rate than Boone was willing to play for, at two years and an increased salary of $6MM. He would be eligible for free agency in 2016, but language prevent the 49ers from franchising him at that time.
Boone will be in the starting lineup for the 49ers as they take on the Bears for Sunday Night Football, reports Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).