After trading Deebo Samuel, the San Francisco 49ers‘ wide receiver corps looks a bit different entering the 2025 NFL season. Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, and Ricky Pearsall are expected to be the team’s leading receivers this year, of course, with tight end George Kittle snagging a large share of Brock Purdy‘s targets too.
Yet, the 49ers also have some immediate injury concerns as they come closer to the start of Week 1. For one, Aiyuk is still recovering from last year’s ACL/MCL tear. Coach Kyle Shanahan says Aiyuk may not be ready to return until “around Week 6.”
Meanwhile, Jennings is nursing a calf injury, and he’s even requested a trade out of San Francisco. Aiyuk’s injury, combined with Jennings’ odd situation, sent the 49ers hunting for another receiver.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the 49ers were trying to trade for John Metchie III. The 49ers even made an offer to the Houston Texans for the former second-round pick, but the Philadelphia Eagles swooped in with an even better offer, sending tight end Harrison Bryant plus a fifth-round pick in exchange for Metchie plus a sixth.
Metchie was the 44th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. But he missed his entire rookie season after being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia. Metchie managed to overcome his diagnosis and saw the field for 16 games in 2023, recording 16 receptions for 158 yards.
He then had a slight increase in production in 2024, but other receivers had already surpassed him, including the recently acquired Stefon Diggs. Metchie then recorded 24 receptions for 254 yards and a touchdown. Still, as a 25-year-old player with limited experience, it’s possible coach Shanahan saw some untapped potential in the 6-foot, 195-pound receiver who once drew comparisons to Deebo Samuel coming out of college.
Now there’s no hiding it. Everyone now knows that the 49ers are in the hunt for another receiver. That could make it tougher for them to land one via the waiver wire when roster cuts are made. Or perhaps they have another trade idea up their sleeves. Either way, 49ers GM John Lynch is apparently combing through other teams’ rosters in search of an upgrade.
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