Shanahan says 49ers not ‘specifically’ targeting trade for veteran WR originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
After Brandon Aiyuk’s season-ending knee injury, don’t expect the 49ers to be in the market for a veteran wide receiver before the NFL’s Nov. 5 trade deadline.
San Francisco plans on doing its usual due diligence, but coach Kyle Shanahan explained to KNBR’s Tom Tolbert and Adam Copeland the 49ers are content with the young wide receivers on their roster.
“I wouldn’t say that specifically,” Shanahan said when asked if the 49ers could seek a veteran wideout in the trade market. “I mean we look into every situation to see if it can help us at every position. It’s a lot harder to do than people realize. People aren’t in to giving up players that can really help you. If they can really help you and for some reason there is a situation of wanting to give them up, it’s rarely going to not hurt you sometime. Most likely the next year and into the future.
“We’ll look into everything, but we got enough guys in our place. We love these young guys we got, they’re just way behind the eight ball with missing so much practice time with so much injuries. But they did it step up well last week. There was a lot on their plate that we weren’t totally expecting them to have to go through, and I thought they rose to the occasion.”
San Francisco notably drafted wide receiver Ricky Pearsall No. 31 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, with the rookie making his professional debut in the 49ers’ Week 8 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
While Pearsall flashed signs of promise, the rookie wideout has a tremendous amount of ground to make up during his first NFL campaign after being shot in the chest during an armed robbery attempt before the season started.
Pearsall finished his NFL debut with three receptions for 21 yards, and could take on a larger role moving forward while Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings remain sidelined with injuries.
Rookie receiver Jacob Cowing also caught his first NFL pass in last week’s loss to the Chiefs, finishing with two receptions for 50 yards on three targets.
Cowing’s blazing speed adds another wrinkle to the 49ers’ offense, which is in desperate need of explosive playmaking in Aiyuk’s absence.
San Francisco sits in last place in the NFC West entering the weekend, desperately seeking a bounce-back win against the Dallas Cowboys on “Sunday Night Football” at Levi’s Stadium, which also could prove to be an invaluable audition for the 49ers’ young wide receiver duo ahead of the trade deadline.
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