The San Francisco 49ers will be among several teams that will be busy this offseason. The 49ers have reportedly begun extension talks with starting quarterback Brock Purdy and star tight end George Kittle.
In addition to discussing potential extensions, the team must find a trade partner for veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Samuel was granted permission by the club earlier this month to seek a trade, as he wants to play elsewhere in 2025.
However, Samuel isn’t the only receiver that could depart San Fran this offseason. Brandon Aiyuk has resurfaced in trade rumors despite suffering a torn ACL and MCL in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs this past season.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported this week on the Scoop City Podcast that teams have inquired about the former first-round pick. On Wednesday, 49ers GM John Lynch discussed the rumors and made a couple of interesting comments regarding team building.
“Yeah, that typically happens with really good players," Lynch said (h/t 49ers Webzone). "I remember, I think two years ago, having similar conversations. You get calls, and you always listen to calls.”
Lynch also mentioned that San Francisco has been one of the highest spending teams over the last few years, which can have a domino effect on the roster to the point where you need to start thinking about getting younger.
"At some point, you have to reset a little bit, or at least recalibrate," Lynch continued. "You can't just keep pressing the pedal. And I think there's some good that can come out of that. We need to get younger. I think we're the oldest team in football, trying to make a run at the deal last year, and I think it's good to constantly get younger.”
If the 49ers can move Samuel, it would be shocking to see them also part ways with Aiyuk, who is coming off a tough injury. That said, Lynch has to listen to any calls, and if someone makes an offer that makes San Francisco better has to listen.
However, the 49ers’ receiver core sans Samuel and Aiyuk is not great on paper, as it puts Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings as the top-two options. Neither guy is a playmaker like Aiyuk, who had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons before getting injured this past season.
Nonetheless, we’ll see how Lynch approaches the offseason and what he does to reshape the roster. The Niners need to get younger and the best way to do this is through the NFL draft.