The 49ers keep hearing their name attached to just about every trade deadline rumor out there, and apparently that chatter has reached inside the building too.
San Francisco is 5-0, and general manager John Lynch said on KNBR earlier in the week that the speculation isn’t just coming from outside sources. His own players are asking questions, too - and George Kittle is at the front of the line.
Lynch said Kittle brought up the idea of a Khalil Mack trade recently.
“We seem to be connected to everyone, and I don't know where that comes from,” laughed Lynch when asked about the Mack rumors.
That kind of thing, according to Lynch, is pretty normal around this group. Players will approach him and want to know if what they’re hearing is real, and Kittle is usually the one doing the asking.
“Usually it's Kittle because he asks about everything, which I love,” said Lynch.
Kittle made it clear he enjoys the back-and-forth. He said he’s not necessarily pushing for specific names, but he does like to needle Lynch and see whether the GM will spill anything.
“I just like to chirp him and ask what he is interested in,” said Kittle on the nature of what he asks about trades. “See if he'll give me anything.”
Kittle also said he isn’t alone in poking around for answers. Kyle Juszczyk and Trent Williams are in on it too, and the veteran trio has turned those conversations into a running joke.
“Me, Juice, Trent, we all chirp just to see if he will actually tell us anything,” added Kittle. “I think he tells Trent the most, not me.”
That dynamic says plenty about where the locker room’s head is right now. The 49ers’ leaders are clearly engaged with the idea that a move could be coming, which is only making the deadline buzz louder.
Receiver and edge rusher remain the two positions most commonly tied to San Francisco. The team has been thin in both spots, but help could also be on the way soon from within.
Mykel Williams just returned, Nick Bosa should be back soon on the edge, and Christian Kirk is practicing. Demarcus Robinson and Deebo Samuel should be only a few weeks away, and De’Zhaun Stribling is expected back in a few weeks as well.
That could make the interior defensive line the spot where a trade addition makes the most sense. For now, the 49ers are still being linked to plenty of names, and their own players seem eager to keep asking Lynch what’s next.
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