The San Francisco 49ers have less than two weeks until the NFL trade deadline, and they are not shying away from potential moves.
San Francisco is 3-4 and dealing with a heap of injury concerns. Losing star WR Brandon Aiyuk to a major knee injury is just the latest problem, but don’t expect 49ers GM John Lynch to add a new WR as things stand.
In an October 24 appearance on KNBR, Lynch explained that the 49ers will look in the trade market, but that they feel okay with their WR group.
“We think with Jauan [Jennings], Deebo [Samuel], Ricky [Pearsall], Jacob [Cowing], Chris [Conley], and Ronnie Bell, we’ve got enough there. We’ll see,” Lynch said. “I think our track record has shown that we’re always going to field calls, we’re always gonna make calls, see what’s out there. If we can improve our team, we will.”
While Jennings and Deebo are expected to be fine for the long-term, Samuel is recovering from pneumonia and Jennings has not practiced this week due to a hip injury. Pearsall returning is a plus, but the 49ers would still prefer to have their top two available WRs back.
49ers GM Thinks IR Returns Could Be Boost Needed
While Lynch isn’t ruling out a trade, he also believes San Francisco just needs to get healthy. RB Christian McCaffrey’s Achilles issues have sidelined him for the entire season so far but his recovery is apparently going well.
Lynch explained that the potential return of four key players could be all the 49ers need.
“I do like this group. When I look at our trade deadline, I look at our IR list and see [Christian] McCaffrey, [Dre] Greenlaw, [Yetur] Gross-Matos, and [Talanoa] Hufanga. If we can get those guys back, I think that’s the boost we need as much as anybody that we’re gonna bring in from the outside,” Lynch said.
Greenlaw has not played since tearing his Achilles during the 2024 Super Bowl. As for Hufanga, his return is up in the air but is looking a lot more possible than it was a couple of weeks ago.
San Francisco Safety Could Return in Next Few Weeks
When Hufanga tore his wrist ligaments in the 24-23 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, initial fears were that he would miss the rest of the year. Considering an ACL tear prematurely ended his 2023 campaign, it would’ve been brutal luck.
However, a new update from The Athletic reporter Michael Silver says he could come back. The San Francisco safety’s current plan is to wear a cast and attempt to play.
“Update: I spoke with @chriscabott, Hufanga’s agent. He insists that the plan is for Hufanga to try to play in a few weeks while wearing a cast. That would be a welcome development,” Silver wrote.
San Francisco is coming up on a BYE week after the Week 8 battle against the Dallas Cowboys. That could be perfect timing to allow Hufanga and other players to return. But considering the 49ers’ injury luck so far, it’s best to be cautious on rushing anyone back.
