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Wilder claimed in late January he wouldn’t return to the Argos.

Toronto teammate Victor Butler, a defensive lineman who produced a team-high 10 quarterback sacks, lodged a similar complaint while writing on social media the team “was holding him hostage.”

Wilder and Popp reconciled earlier this month, when the player signed a two-year extension through 2019 that should pay him approximately $100,000 this season.

“There was just a lot of communication that had to get done. It’s part of negotiations … the way some things are with the league,” said Wilder, not shy to discuss the situation at length with Postmedia. “We just had to find a balance for both sides. We communicated the whole time … although it might have been uncomfortable had I gone through the same situation again.

“It’s tough for a GM,” added Wilder, who turns 26 on Apr. 14. “He wouldn’t want a player released to the NFL. It’s hard just to be able to let go of your starting running back. And maybe as a player, you don’t want to hear that because you have the opportunity.”

Now that the two sides have kissed and made up, Wilder can return to the task at hand, proving he remains one of the league’s most dominant tailbacks.

“I have to keep it going,” he insisted. “Every year in football you see somebody have a hot year – and then they’re unheard of the next year. I don’t want to be a one-hit wonder. If I do pretty good, that helps our team.”

The 6-foot-2, 232-pound Wilder had just 39 carries through Toronto’s first 11 games, playing behind veteran Brandon Whitaker. But Wilder assumed a larger role on the Argos’ offence after Whitaker sustained an injury.