The San Francisco 49ers knocked down the first major domino of the offseason, trading wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders. Results from the deal presented some shock value with Samuel landing on another NFC contender, but the deal itself was only a matter of time.
Weeks ago at the NFL Scouting Combine, Niners general manager John Lynch pointed to the team’s budget stretching too far, pondering when that should come to a stopping point.
Clearly, they reached that conclusion with Samuel and they may not be done yet. Brandon Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million extension last offseason, so even with Samuel’s trade, they still have another receiver eating away at the salary cap.
San Francisco is working through a contract extension for Brock Purdy. Next season, four players will have cap hits of over $20 million, so there is some reason for the Niners wanting to draw back financially.
Whether or not they act on another move, there is another wide receiver signing that could deepen their talent pool at the right price. SI NFL insider Albert Breer believes that free agent Stefon Diggs could be a potential fit for the Niners.
“The best place for him, it seems, would be with a contender where he wouldn’t have to be the guy,” Breer said, “which would mitigate potential issues with his desire for the ball and also alleviate the frustration that losing can bring a guy with his sort of makeup.
“Is that place out there for him? San Francisco would make sense, at the right price.”
San Francisco checks the boxes for Diggs, especially if he is looking to get back into a winning situation. While the Niners struggled through last season, the elements remain for a rebound in 2025.
Diggs may not be cleared to return from an ACL tear suffered in Week 8 until training camp, so that would certainly present an obstacle for both sides. But Diggs is a sensible veteran addition, especially in a scenario where the Niners decide to move Aiyuk and his contract.
It appears the team has faith in their young pair of Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings. No matter how San Francisco constructs their receiving corps, those two should play bigger roles next season.
If they are looking to take a chance on another threat at what may be a cheaper price, Diggs could be their “x-factor” coming out of the offseason.