The San Francisco 49ers are 4-0 heading into Week 5, and that hot start has them in position to make a serious push against the Seattle Seahawks. But even with the wins piling up, the team’s injury situation is looming over everything - and it could shape how San Francisco attacks the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
ESPN’s Nick Wagoner said the 49ers are expected to get some important players back around that deadline, but he doesn’t believe that will slow their pursuit of outside help.
"The 49ers will get some key players back from injury before or around the Nov. 10 trade deadline, but that's unlikely to stop them from being aggressive in their pursuit of adding help," Wagoner writes. "That's especially true on the defensive line and, to a lesser degree, wide receiver."
That points the spotlight straight at the defensive front. San Francisco has already gotten solid play from Osa Odighizuwa, and the team should eventually have Mykel Williams and Nick Bosa back this season. Still, another body on the edge would make plenty of sense if the right deal is there.
Khalil Mack is one name to watch, especially with the 0-4 Los Angeles Chargers potentially heading toward a trade deadline fire sale. Nolan Smith Jr. of the Philadelphia Eagles could also fit the same kind of scenario.
Wide receiver was also mentioned as a possible area of interest, but it doesn’t look nearly as urgent. Ricky Pearsall is out for the season, yet the rest of the receiver room should be back around the deadline. By the end of November, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, Christian Kirk, Demarcus Robinson, and De'Zhuan Stribling could all be part of that group, which would be enough for San Francisco to operate at a high level.
So while the injury list is a concern, it doesn’t appear to be changing the 49ers’ bigger plan. They’re still expected to be active. And with Brock Purdy looking like an early MVP candidate, if not the frontrunner, this is shaping up as a team that will try to add rather than sit still.
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A few later selections have at least given the front office something to point to, with Upton Stout, Marques Sigle and Connor Colby all showing enough progress to work their way into starting roles. The bigger concern is at the top of the class, where the most highly regarded picks still do not offer the kind of steady contribution the 49ers were counting on, leaving this draft haul feeling far less settled than the team would have hoped. [Read more 🡒]