As T.J. Watt's future with the Pittsburgh Steelers remains cloudy, could the Bay serve as a potential new home for the star linebacker?
Chris Canty seems to think so.
The former NFL defensive lineman-turned-ESPN analyst shared a bizarre trade proposal that would bring Watt to San Francisco and ship quarterback Brock Purdy, who's awaiting a contract extension this offseason, to Pittsburgh.
"Using T.J. Watt as a way to be able to pry Brock Purdy from San Francisco," Canty explained on ESPN Radio's "UnSportsmanLike." "The 49ers gutted at defense, being able to add some help for Fred Warner and Nick Bosa. T.J. Watt in that group. [Robert] Saleh now back there as the defensive coordinator.
"[The 49ers] got the 11th overall pick, so they can presumably draft a quarterback if they don't have to give up that pick in the trade. I don't know how the 49ers say no to that."
Well, for starters, San Francisco suffered several losses this offseason for cost-cutting reasons, seemingly to make room to pay Purdy, who could earn anywhere from $50 million to $60 million per season. Some of those moves included saying goodbye to impact players such as Dre Greenlaw, Deebo Samuel and Charvarius Ward.
The 49ers spent about $85 million over the NFL's salary cap last year in their effort to get over the hump to win a Super Bowl, but their 2024 season, largely due to injuries, fell well below expectations. San Francisco's 2025 salary cap situation now includes more than $80 million connected to players no longer on the team, including Samuel, Arik Armstead, Ward and Leonard Floyd.
