One of the best players at his position signed a three-year, $105.8 million extension this past summer. That player was traded Thursday morning to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2027 and 2028 first-round pick. The Titans also sent a fourth-rounder this year, while the Bears sent back a 2028 fifth-rounder.
It’s a deal you make when Jeffery Simmons just turned 29. The Bears are telling you they believe Simmons will provide more value than the three picks they dealt away over the next three years,
at least.
Could the San Francisco 49ers pry away Garrett Wilson from the New York Jets? The situation is similar. The Jets are 2-5. Wilson signed a four-year, $130 million contract extension in July 2025.
The selling point to the Jets
The Jets will incur a dead cap if they trade Wilson. According to Over the Cap, trading Wilson would cost $6.75 million in dead money through 2029 and $4 million in 2030. Jets fans will cite that as a primary reason the Jets won’t part ways with their budding star receiver.
There’s the other side of the coin: the cap space you save. You’d save $16.5 million in 2027, and over $29 million during the next two years.
This was Wilson last Sunday:
On Wednesday, Wilson said he didn’t want to be traded, but he does want to win. Offensive coordinator Frank Reich described Wilson’s frustrations as “a healthy tension” on Thursday.
From a long-term perspective, it seems silly for a team projected to use one of their first-round picks in 2027 on a quarterback to trade away a top-flight receiver like Wilson.
The Jets haven’t had any problems moving the ball in their last two games against divisional opponents.
Rookie Omar Cooper Jr. has back-to-back 100-yard receiving games. Their other first-rounder, Kenyon Sadiq, isn’t the most dangerous tight end on the roster. That goes to the second-rounder in ’25, Mason Taylor.
The Jets already have three first-round picks in the ’27 draft. Adding another would give them the ammunition to at least attempt to replace Wilson. You’re reminding them they can move the ball without Wilson while selling them on the value of buying two first-rounders to replace him.
It’ll also open up cap space down the line for a team that’ll already have the third-most next year with over $85 million — and that’s with Wilson’s contract on the books.
Why the 49ers should be aggressive buyers
Trent Williams is 38.
George Kittle is 33.
Mike Evans is 33.
DeForest Buckner is 32.
Christian McCaffrey is 30.
You don’t know how much longer Nick Bosa’s body will hold up.
We’re a year removed from the ultimate Ironman, Fred Warner, missing double-digit games because of a freak accident. He turns 30 in November.
The 49ers brass would be foolish to think this iteration of the 49ers — arguably the best of the decade — will hold up for another 20+ game season after this year. It’s a haughty assumption, especially from a team that was robbed of a Super Bowl appearance after their quarterback sustained a fluke injury in the NFC Championship Game earlier this decade.
I’ve been a staunch advocate for the 49ers to avoid trading for a run-of-the-mill receiver. Josh Downs doesn’t make you a Super Bowl contender.
Wilson is a needle mover. He surpassed 1,000 yards receiving in his first two seasons with Zach Wilson throwing him the ball. If that isn’t enough of an argument, then I’m not sure what would convince you that he’s the real deal.
I could clip together Wilson running out routes where he breaks the cornerbacks’ ankles, releases off the line of scrimmage with the defensive back hopping the opposite direction of Wilson, or him making acrobatic catches down the field. There isn’t a route Wilson can’t run.
Wilson becomes the future of the 49ers. Like the Bears — if we’re acting under the guise of the deal being multiple first-rounders — the Niners are banking on Wilson producing more —albeit far more expensive — than their two first-rounders in the next two years would.
But you’re paying for that by acquiring Wilson at this contract. You get to skip past the “teach this guy how to play football” phase. There is no learning curve. You’re getting one of the best players at his position with the skill set you’d create in a lab for a Kyle Shanahan offense.
The 49ers have fallen on hard luck before signing Evans. Swinging for the fences on Wilson would help the team wash their hands of the Brandon Aiyuk disaster, provide peace of mind without having to hold their breath in the future to see if Ricky Pearsall stays healthy, and take pressure off De’Zhaun Stribling to replace Evans down the line.
The 49ers’ first-round draft history under this regime doesn’t come close to Wilson’s caliber. You’re removing the guessing game with a win-now player who also provides stability at a position you’ve whiffed on in recent years.
It’s a rare NFL opportunity for a team like the Niners to capitalize on a player entering his prime who is visibly unhappy. It’s a big if, as there are plenty of uncontrollables for the 49ers.
Everybody has a price.
