With the trade deadline nearing, there have been reports that the San Francisco 49ers are still looking to make moves after acquiring DeForest Buckner from the Indianapolis Colts last week.
Notably, the 49ers are still interested in a wide receiver and a pass rusher. The pass rusher market has usually been there at the trade deadline, and that should be the case again this year. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the 49ers looked for a minor move there, adding a veteran situational pass rusher to bolster
their current group.
But the receiver market is a bit different for a few reasons. There doesn’t seem to be a ton of flashy names available, with one, Garrett Wilson, already getting a ton of speculation that he won’t be traded. Additionally, the 49ers don’t need a run-of-the-mill receiver. They currently have Mike Evans, Demarcus Robinson, Deebo Samuel, and Christian Kirk all expected to practice in some capacity this week, while De’Zhaun Stribling is a few weeks away as well. That group could be what San Francisco rolls with going forward.
It was reported that the 49ers were interested in Jauan Jennings, but that deal was nixed. Anyways, Jennings didn’t seem like the best fit, as the 49ers needed a true separator who could fill the Robinson or Stribling role that has been missing in the offense for weeks.
But there is an outside-the-box wideout that the 49ers could target: Dallas Cowboys star George Pickens.
Following their loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the Cowboys are 3-5. They do get the Colts this week, but face the 49ers after that. To end the year, they get the Titans, Eagles, Seahawks, Rams, Jaguars, Giants, and Commanders.
But even if the Cowboys want to continue competing, they still could trade Pickens. Pickens had seen snap shares above 80 percent in every game but one over the first six weeks. But the last two? Those have dropped to 60 and 57 percent, with Ryan Flournoy seeing increased route participation.
Pickens is coming off a career year in 2025 and is currently playing on the franchise tag. So, he’d be an impending free agent at 25 years old. When on the field, he’s been an excellent player and could be exactly what the 49ers want as a separator opposite Mike Evans. This trade could also allow him to play off the ball for the first time in his career, allowing him to move around the formation more and giving the Niners a true star receiver tandem.
Now, a trade like this would always come down to cost, but if the 49ers only have to move a third-round pick and a Day 3 pick, it wouldn’t be a major issue at all, especially given that San Francisco can recoup a compensatory pick for Pickens in the offseason.
The Niners and Cowboys made a deal back in the offseason for Osa Odighizuwa. That could happen again here with Pickens as an outside-the-box target that might make sense to move on both sides.
Now, Ian Rapoport shared this week that the Cowboys are not expected to trade George Pickens, but Jerry Jones has said he’ll listen to deals on his players. So, that’s an option.
