5 San Francisco 49ers Wide Receiver Options To Replace Brandon Aiyuk

The San Francisco 49ers did not just lose to the Kansas City Chiefs at home on Sunday, another major injury was added to the mix.

Star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk went down to a serious knee injury in the second quarter of the game. Immediately after the 28-18 loss, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that the fear is Aiyuk suffered a torn ACL. An MRI will ultimately confirm this, meaning that Aiyuk is lost for the remainder of the season.

This was a major backdrop as San Francisco fell to 3-4 on the season heading into next week’s must win home date with the rival Dallas Cowboys. It also comes just over two weeks until the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 5.

It’s going to be nearly impossible to replace the production San Francisco has seen from Aiyuk over the past couple seasons. Internally, the likes of Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings must step up. Rookies Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing were forced into action on Sunday, too. The two played pretty well in the process. But relying on inexperienced receivers just doesn’t seem to be a recipe for success moving forward.

General manager John Lynch has been active ahead of the in-season trade deadline in recent years. Back in 2022, that included acquiring star running back Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers. Last season saw Lynch make a move for pass rusher Chase Young in a trade with the Washington Commanders.

Could we see a repeat of this over the next couple weeks? It’s an open question with the 49ers struggling to a 3-4 start. What I do know is that the always active Lynch will be using a ton of his free cell phone minutes over the next several days.

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San Francisco 49ers Wide Receiver Options At NFL Trade Deadline

The good news for San Francisco? We’ve already seen some blockbuster trades involving wide receivers this season.

That included Davante Adams being dealt from the Las Vegas Raiders to the New York Jets. Fellow Pro Bowler Amari Cooper was traded from the Cleveland Browns to the Buffalo Bills, too.

Teams will soon have an understanding whether they are legitimate playoff contenders. That means multiple receivers could be placed on the block here soon. Let’s look at five that make sense for San Francisco.

Mike Williams, New York Jets

Williams was signed by the Jets this past offseason after being released by his former Los Angeles Chargers team. The two-time 1,000-yard receiver was coming off a 2023 campaign in which he suffered a torn ACL. For New York, the hope was that Williams would help provide more weapons for star quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Now, just seven games into the season, and Williams could be on his way out of town. New York acquired Davante Adams from the Raiders last week. It has led to widespread reports that the Jets will look to move Williams ahead of the Nov. 5. NFL trade deadline. If so, he’d come for pennies on the dollar. It would be a low-risk, high-reward proposition for the 49ers.

DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans

Let me be clear here. While Hopkins’ name has popped up ahead of the trade deadline, the five-time Pro Bowler continues to assert that he’s happy in Tennessee.

“I’ve been playing for a long time. My mind is very much set on Buffalo this week. “I love my life. I love where I am,” Hopkins said ahead of Week 7, via the Titans’ website. “God put me where I need to be, and He always will. I play football.”

That’s perfectly fine. But continuing this marriage doesn’t seem to make too much sense. Hopkins turned 32 back in June. The Titans are currently 1-5 on the season and going nowhere fast. It certainly makes sense for Tennessee to move the star receiver.

Hopkins would also be a great fit in San Francisco. Even with the Titans’ questionable quarterback situation, he was able to record 75 receptions for 1,057 yards a season ago.

Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers

Much like the Titans, these Panthers are going nowhere fast. They are 1-6 on the season and being outscored by an average of 19 points per game. Andy Dalton continues to start over the benched Bryce Young for some reason.

What I do know is that multiple Panthers players will be on the block ahead of the deadline. San Francisco has been linked to running back Miles Sanders. But I like Thielen as an option at a position of utmost need.

The slot receiver was placed on injured reserve back in late September with a hamstring issue. His ability to return from IR will play a major role as it relates to Thielen’s availability.

If he’s good to go after the 49ers’ Week 9 bye, this would be a great fit. Thielen recorded 103 receptions and caught 73 percent of his targets for a bad Panthers squad last season. A trade of this ilk would also enable Jauan Jennings to move outside opposite Deebo Samuel.

Darius Slayton, New York Giants

Slayton’s name continued to pop up on the rumor mill during the offseason. In the end, New York decided to keep the veteran in hopes that he could make sweet music with struggling quarterback Daniel Jones. Through seven weeks, the Giants find themselves at 2-5. Questions about Jones’ status as the team’s starting quarterback continue to pop up.

As for the 27-year-old Slayton, he continues to be productive in a contract year. The veteran has recorded 25 receptions for 312 yards. He could probably be had for a mid-round pick given the receiver’s status as an impending free agent. He’d also immediately slide in at Aiyuk’s spot opposite Samuel.

Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders

According to Mike Silver of The Athletic, Meyers was involved in trade discussions between the Raiders and 49ers this past summer. It came at a time when San Francisco thought it might be forced to trade Aiyuk.

Fast forward a few months, and the two sides could kick the tires on this possibility again. Vegas just traded away Davante Adams. The team is 2-5 on the season and going nowhere fast. Why not look to acquire future draft capital as they continue with what promises to be a long-term rebuild?

Meyers would end up manning the slot with Jennings on the outside in this scenario. He caught 25 passes for 273 yards in five games before going down with an ankle injury. Meyers’ health moving forward will tell us all we need to know about him potentially being traded over the next two weeks.