San Francisco

49ers

This was already shaping up to be an eventful offseason in San Francisco with an extension looming for Brock Purdy and GM John Lynch acknowledging that Deebo Samuel will be on the move. Now Aiyuk, who signed a $120 million extension last offseason, could also be out the door. It’s already been reported that the 26-year-old wide receiver’s availability is uncertain for the start of the season after tearing his MCL and ACL last October. There are scenarios where the 49ers enter 2025 with Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall as their top two receivers. If that’s the case, George Kittle’s ADP will skyrocket.

According to Schultz, talks over a trade have progressed recently, leaving us to wonder how soon a deal could actually get done. He adds that the Steelers and Broncos “also checked in” on a potential trade for the star receiver, but said the Commanders and Texans “are believed to be the most aggressive.” It goes without saying that both teams could use an upgrade at receiver. The Commanders have no receiver of note on the roster after Terry McLaurin, and with Tank Dell’s (knee) availability already in question for next season and Stefon Diggs unlikely to return, Samuel would make for a strong WR2 opposite Nico Collins. Samuel is a near lock to get traded this offseason after the 49ers said they would grant his wish to be moved earlier this month. Samuel’s 670 receiving yards last season marked his fewest since an injury-shortened 2022, when he appeared in just 13 games. He’s played in 15 games each of the last two seasons and has also been a regular contributor on the ground in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Samuel has one year left on his current deal and will likely require an extension from whatever team acquires him, which only adds to the cost to acquire former First-Team All-Pro.

Speaking at Wednesday’s press conference, Lynch said McCaffrey was “doing really well” in his recovery from the Achilles tendinitis and PCL injuries that limited him to just four games last season. McCaffrey will be 29 at the start of next season, and his injury-plagued 2024 only serves as a reminder for how quickly a running back’s career can go sideways. While he’s expected to serve as the 49ers’ RB1 if healthy, the Niners need to figure out what to do at the position outside of McCaffrey. Explosive second-year player Isaac Guerendo spent a lot of last year hurt, and last year’s leading rusher, Jordan Mason ended last year on IR and could draw interest as a restricted free agent. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the 49ers address running back via the draft or free agency. CMC appears to be on the path toward a return as Plan A for the 49ers next season.

Greenlaw played in just two games last season, suffering from Achilles discomfort stemming from a torn Achilles that occurred during Super Bowl LVIII last year. The 27-year-old has spent the first six seasons of his career with the 49ers, starting the majority of his games next to Fred Warner. He is one of the team’s upcoming free agents and Lynch indicated the team is interested in having him back, though Greenlaw may still test free agency as the start of the league year rolls around.

Wiliams missed the final seven games of 2024 with ankle and heel injuries. While he didn’t mention retirement last year, it’s a reasonable speculation for a 36-year-old tackle who has already locked up his spot in the Hall of Fame. He also held out for much of the offseason program last year in search of more guaranteed money. The 49ers eventually obliged, though Williams could soon be eying a new deal entirely. He has two years left on his current contract. Luckily for San Francisco, that doesn’t appear to be an issue at the moment and Williams will be back protecting Brock Purdy’s blindside next season.

Lynch said “It probably makes sense” and the team is allowing Samuel to look for trade partners. He also briefly mentioned Samuel’s contract. The 49ers will eat a $31.6 million dead cap charge if they trade Samuel, reducing their cap space by $15.2 million. That means the team needs to be reasonably compensated by a trade partner for the cap hit they will incur, creating a potential hurdle in negotiations. Still, Lynch seemed understanding of Samuel’s desire to leave and does appear willing to move on from the former superstar wideout. Coming off a frustrating season that amounted to just 806 yards from scrimmage, the second-lowest mark of his career, a mutual split may be best for both sides at this point.

No surprises here as both Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have said they want to keep Purdy around long-term. Even owner Jed York has publicly stated his desire for Purdy to be in San Francisco for a long time. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini previously speculated that Purdy’s deal could be worth $55 to $60 million per season. That would make him one of the five highest-paid quarterbacks if it comes to fruition. While Purdy may not be a top-five quarterback, he’s put up top-five efficiency numbers since entering the league three years ago. It’s also to be expected that any young quarterback getting a new contract will be one of the highest-paid passers for at least a year or two. Purdy’s extension is ultimately a matter of when, not if, it happens.

Griese got a request to interview for the Jets head coaching vacancy earlier this year, and had an interview with the Saints for their offensive coordinator position in 2024. He likely has enough connections to find a new NFL coaching gig if he wants it, but the Athletic’s Matt Barrows reports Griese is stepping away from coaching. We’ll see if the 49-year-old former quarterback returns to coach again, but he is prioritizing life outside of football for now.

Lombardi was swept away with the Josh McDaniels sands in Las Vegas and worked as a senior offensive assistant for the 49ers last season. He’ll replace Brian Griese as the 49ers elevate Lombardi in-house. Lombardi spent four years as an assistant with the 49ers from 2013-2016 before setting out on his own with the Jets, and, later, riding the McDaniels train from New England to the Raiders. This is only the second time he’s had an unquestioned position coach role — he was New England’s wideouts coach in 2020 and 2021.