The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[Conn]

Still don’t like the player. I think he’s a flake and obviously someone that loves drama.

Remember him on social media before he got a new contract talking about his best friend Daniels and how much fun it would be to play with him someday.

He was classless from the start crying about not being appreciated, he was like a 12 year old.

You just described about half of the good WR’s in this league. Including our own Terry McLaurin who was willing to dabble in acting like a little bitch to get his contract. It’s a common thing with these guys and their agents. I’ve learned to ignore most of it. I’m way more concerned with how Aiyuk may have acted after finally getting his extension. It’s like he immediately regretted the decision. Weird situation

 

[prodigy]

We didn't survive. That was the worst receiving unit in the NFL last season and it hurt us a lot. Guys couldn't get open or be trusted to run the correct routes. Things look better because of Terry but if he goes down then we are in deep trouble again, as it stands now

I think we survived in that we had opportunities to win or keep it close if the defense wasn't so bad. not that we were thriving. I think we have better depth, after the draft, than last year. deebo was useless outside of manufactured touches, a lot behind the line of scrimmage, that were predictable to the defenses. ertz was old and unable to generate any YAC along with uncharacteristic dropsies and Noah who was going to get injured from a mild gust of wind. those were who we depended on. I think we are in better shape by a considerable margin.

 

[Anselmheifer]

Im so torn on how to feel about BTJ and whether or not id want to trade good assets for him.

On the one hand he had a phenomenal rookie year and has a good rapport with jayden.

On another he seems to have fallen out of favor with Jacksonville and I'd love to know why.

On another Jacksonville has made some very head scratching moves lately and maybe this is another one.

On another they were a pretty damn good team last year so maybe their moves are 3d chess level genius.

I would absolutely love to trade for BTJ. Almost 6’3, with almost 33” arms. Only 23 years old. Excels at the deep ball. We already know he mixes well with Jayden. Had over 1300 yards as a rookie. Terry has never had 1200.

I don’t think he’s available.

 

[Riggo44]

I would absolutely love to trade for BTJ. Almost 6’3, with almost 33” arms. Only 23 years old. Excels at the deep ball. We already know he mixes well with Jayden. Had over 1300 yards as a rookie. Terry has never had 1200.

I don’t think he’s available.

Not unless we want to be without multiple picks next year, in a much stronger draft.

 

[heisenberg]

Not unless we want to be without multiple picks next year, in a much stronger draft.

Thats the conundrum, how much is he worth.

Apparently he had a real problem with drops last year too, not sure why that popped up out of nowhere.

And yes I dont think the jags are trading him for less than a 1 or maybe a 2 and a 3 or something and thats where it gets scary.

 

[Anselmheifer]

Does anybody else think that Deebo would be a good addition at this point? Gives us a YAC guy at WR, a YAC guy at TE, a a lot who can get open quickly, and Terry, who can get down the field. Deebo was surprisingly good for us last year. It’s not his fault that he was supposed to be a complementary guy and all of the pieces around him fell apart.

 

[Riggo44]

I think Deebo would be superfluous now with Williams and Lane. I'd rather that kids get the snaps. I'm getting the feeling Burks is our starter on the outside at X

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Does anybody else think that Deebo would be a good addition at this point? Gives us a YAC guy at WR, a YAC guy at TE, a a lot who can get open quickly, and Terry, who can get down the field. Deebo was surprisingly good for us last year. It’s not his fault that he was supposed to be a complementary guy and all of the pieces around him fell apart.

Deebo is not an outside get separation guy. Hes more of a slot move around guy.

We now have potentially 3 of those with a new draft pick and the last 2 WR draft picks.

So it seems like adding him would be redundant at this point.

 

[Anselmheifer]

Deebo is not an outside get separation guy. Hes more of a slot move around guy.

We now have potentially 3 of those with a new draft pick and the last 2 WR draft picks.

So it seems like adding him would be redundant at this point.

You might be right. I didn’t necessarily think of him as a slot guy. I thought of him as a gadget guy. Threw it to him short or handed off to him. Wide receiver screen. It wasn’t about a route running outside receiver to me. It was about having an extra playmaker on the field. I agree that generally, slot is well covered.

 

[Riggo44]

I'd like to see Lane get the ball in space like Deebo was setup for. Use that speed and punt return capabilities

 

[Dlts20]

I don't trust Deebo. He started out really strong but he started getting some nagging injuries and didn't seem like the same player after week 6 or so. He was a lot less explosive and if he doesn't have burst then he's not that valuable since he can't fall back on typical receiver skills

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

I don't trust Deebo. He started out really strong but he started getting some nagging injuries and didn't seem like the same player after week 6 or so. He was a lot less explosive and if he doesn't have burst then he's not that valuable since he can't fall back on typical receiver skills

I mean, he had 760 yards and was playing with Larry, Mo and Curly for most of the year.

I trust him to do what he does well.

I don’t trust him to do what they needed him to do because literally the entire team got injured except him.

 

[Dlts20]

I mean, he had 760 yards and was playing with Larry, Mo and Curly for most of the year.

I trust him to do what he does well.

I don’t trust him to do what they needed him to do because literally the entire team got injured except him.

I agree. I was going to say that he would be better with more talent around him but I didn't like his drop off after the Chargers game when we needed him the most. Now with Terry, Antonio, and Chig on the field, I could see him being dangerous in this system.


He could also be interchangeable with Williams switching between outside and slot. I wouldn't be upset if we got him but I would try others first. I will say that he is comfortable with Ayuik and he does want to be here which is a plus.

 

[Discobob]

I hope he shows up to mini camp wearing nothing but a speedo thong, and spends every waking moment as the biggest distraction ever.

 

[Dlts20]

Let's not paint everything negative with Ayuik. Still remember that his teammates actually loved him. It's well documented. I also remember Jennings celebrating more than Ayuik himself when Brandon went over a thousand yards. A leader in Kittle defended him. Jayden is great friends with him. Tunsil liked him when they were hanging out. Our former receiver Hankerson is now the 49ers receivers coach and he loved him. He was talking about how Ayuik took a coaching role and was helping the young guys when he was hurt.

Shanahan loved him and pushed for him to get the big contract. AP was in SF and wanted him. That's more important than speculative rumors. The people who have been around him on the daily are fond of him. Don't let the other stuff make you dismiss that part about him. We could actually be surprising getting a great player and locker room guy. This isn't an Antonio Brown situation. Ayuik basically just stopped showing up when he didn't feel wanted, appreciated, and knew that they were trying to dump him.

There have been zero reports of him fighting, cursing out coaches or teammates, or being any kind of distraction. He's not To. He just left. It was weird but I still haven't heard anyone say anything negative about him as a person but the narrative kinda makes people think that when it's actually the opposite.

 

[Faithful Fan]

You might be right. I didn’t necessarily think of him as a slot guy. I thought of him as a gadget guy. Threw it to him short or handed off to him. Wide receiver screen. It wasn’t about a route running outside receiver to me. It was about having an extra playmaker on the field. I agree that generally, slot is well covered.

I love Deebo and would welcome him back. The negativity towards a guy who was our leading receiver and a model citizen always puzzled me.

That said, McCaffery and Williams are both gadget guys too, so I do think it’s fair to say he would be redundant at this point. McCaffery was a college QB, returns kicks, etc. Antonio Williams is even more interesting in this regard.

In addition to his primary receiving duties, Williams also returned punts, had 25 carries for 187 yards and 2 touchdowns, and 4 passes for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns. Some of those gadgety plays can be seen here:

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

I agree. I was going to say that he would be better with more talent around him but I didn't like his drop off after the Chargers game when we needed him the most. Now with Terry, Antonio, and Chig on the field, I could see him being dangerous in this system.


He could also be interchangeable with Williams switching between outside and slot. I wouldn't be upset if we got him but I would try others first. I will say that he is comfortable with Ayuik and he does want to be here which is a plus.

He also had a heal injury of if I am mistaken and played through it for the most part.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Let's not paint everything negative with Ayuik. Still remember that his teammates actually loved him. It's well documented. I also remember Jennings celebrating more than Ayuik himself when Brandon went over a thousand yards. A leader in Kittle defended him. Jayden is great friends with him. Tunsil liked him when they were hanging out. Our former receiver Hankerson is now the 49ers receivers coach and he loved him. He was talking about how Ayuik took a coaching role and was helping the young guys when he was hurt.

Shanahan loved him and pushed for him to get the big contract. AP was in SF and wanted him. That's more important than speculative rumors. The people who have been around him on the daily are fond of him. Don't let the other stuff make you dismiss that part about him. We could actually be surprising getting a great player and locker room guy. This isn't an Antonio Brown situation. Ayuik basically just stopped showing up when he didn't feel wanted, appreciated, and knew that they were trying to dump him.

There have been zero reports of him fighting, cursing out coaches or teammates, or being any kind of distraction. He's not To. He just left. It was weird but I still haven't heard anyone say anything negative about him as a person but the narrative kinda makes people think that when it's actually the opposite.

All of that might be true but he’s acted erratically (being kind) recently.

 

[Dlts20]

Brandon Aiyuk is well-regarded by his teammates, with several expressing strong positive sentiments. Trent Williams explicitly stated he loves Aiyuk "like a brother," and George Kittle considers Aiyuk one of his favorite teammates ever. Other teammates, including Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, Ji'Ayir Brown, and Kyle Juszczyk, have also shown public support and attended his wedding.
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Teammates have shown consistent support for Aiyuk, particularly during discussions about his contract situation and during personal events.
Teammates' Sentiments and Support
Trent Williams: Has publicly stated, "I love B.A. like a brother," reflecting a strong personal and professional bond. He reiterated this sentiment amidst Aiyuk's contract discussions, emphasizing his love for Aiyuk.
George Kittle: Considers Brandon Aiyuk one of his "favorite teammates ever." He has also shown support for Aiyuk during challenging times, including Aiyuk's absence from team activities and a serious injury.
Deebo Samuel: Aiyuk and Samuel share a very close friendship. Samuel has confirmed their strong bond, stating, "me and B.A. are so close."
Ricky Pearsall: Expressed strong support and concern for Aiyuk, calling him a "huge role model" who helped launch his own career. Pearsall's feelings for Aiyuk "will never change" due to their shared history.
Jauan Jennings: Along with Williams and Pearsall, Jennings has offered support and well wishes for Aiyuk, especially during periods of contract disputes and injury recovery.
Wedding Attendance: Ji'Ayir Brown, Ricky Pearsall, and Kyle Juszczyk were among the 49ers teammates who attended Aiyuk's wedding, signaling positive personal relationships and team camaraderie. Even Jayden Daniels, a fellow NFL player, attended the celebration.
General Support: Teammates have consistently shown support for Aiyuk when addressing reports about his future with the team and during contract discussions, indicating they stand by him as a player.
While some fan discussions have touched on perceptions of Aiyuk's behavior or team spirit, direct statements and actions from his teammates consistently demonstrate a positive and supportive relationship.

 

[Bulldog]

SF didn’t have to pay him the contract in 2024 they could have traded him so if Lynch had buyer’s remorse that’s his problem.

Telling interested teams to give him a call after the draft was a total joke.