The 49ers may be getting linked to a few familiar names as training camp opens, but that doesn’t mean a spending spree is coming.
Stefon Diggs and Deebo Samuel have both surfaced as possible additions for San Francisco in the days before camp, and Joey Bosa has also been mentioned. Still, the more likely outcome is that the 49ers stay patient and keep their wallet closed for now. If a move for a player like Diggs, Samuel or Bosa was going to happen, it probably would have been done already.
That fits the way John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have typically operated. This front office has usually trusted its own roster first, leaning on internal options before making a move in free agency or the trade market.
So if the 49ers do not add another veteran right away, the answer will likely come from the players already in the building. They’ll be counting on Christian Kirk and Demarcus Robinson to help if De'Zhaun Stribling doesn’t deliver. They’ll also need Keion White to take on a larger role if Romello Height, a rookie, can’t make an early impact.
None of that means Diggs, Samuel or Bosa wouldn’t help. Depth matters, and high-end depth can be the difference on a roster built to chase a Super Bowl.
But this version of the 49ers may not be in the mood to chase a late-July fix. The roster is talented, sure, but it’s also an aging group with more uncertainty around its top players than the team has dealt with in recent years. There are injury concerns, and there are enough unknowns among the younger players to make the front office cautious about a signing that might not pay off.
If San Francisco does make a meaningful addition later, the more likely window is the November 10 trade deadline. That’s when the team should have a clearer read on what it has, and how healthy it is, heading into mid-November.
If the veterans are playing well and some of the younger players take a step forward, the 49ers could be in position to swing big in the trade market. If things go the other way, they may follow the path they took last year and add a younger player on the margins, someone who can help right away while still offering some long-term upside. They did that in 2025 when they acquired defensive end Keion White from the Patriots to help their battered defense.
There are still quality free agents available, and each comes with his own set of strengths and drawbacks. Even so, the 49ers are more likely to wait until they have a better sense of their roster before making another move.
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The bigger concern now is what comes next, because the projection has the 49ers carrying a different mix in the backfield and treating Guerendo as the odd man out. Between his injury last season and the rise of Jordan James, the path back onto the roster has gotten much narrower, and for a young player who seemed to have momentum not long ago, that is a sharp turn in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
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George Kittle Just Added More Tension To The 49ers Aiyuk Drama
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The uncomfortable part for San Francisco is how much this saga circles back to timing. The 49ers had earlier chances to lock Aiyuk in at a lower price before the market moved, and now the discussion is less about whether the relationship has been strained than how much farther it can stretch. Aiyuks latest post about Christian McCaffrey only added another layer to a situation that already feels like it is waiting for the next public reaction. [Read more 🡒]