The 2026 Free Agency Thread

[skinsinparadise]

The team wanted Jennings but not at his price tag? 8mill base?? No seems to me the team did not want Jennings at all.

I am holding out on my verdict on our 2026 appproach to WR till games begin. I understand the stack talent theory but in practice the question is what talent? We were very aggressive on Pierce and Doubs. After that there were a bunch of warm bodies in free agency, of which we picked out a couple.

2025 offseason was lackadaisical and a mistake but I wouldnt want AP to add names this offseason just to appear as more aggressive.

He signed months after FA started. It's well documented he wanted a lot more -- both national reports and from SF.

Sometimes you don't get what you want. That's life.

The idea that he signed now for 8 million, isn't proof that its what he wanted the whole time. No one is saying that.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I think there are a couple of obvious things that come to mind. First of all, of course it is going to take time to get back into game shape and get back to where you were pre-injury. Expecting anything else is unrealistic. Secondly, guys who come back and pick up right where they left off don’t get a lot of media hype.

Not saying you are arguing against any of that. But this ‘he looks fat and out of shape’ stuff is such a social media thing. We heard it all offseason about Deebo and he was our best offensive weapon.

I haven’t dug into the data enough to prove it out, but just going off the narratives, Adrian Peterson is treated like a complete outlier when it comes to bouncing back from an ACL. Not because it’s typical—but because it was so rare. You still hear his name come up across sports whenever someone returns from a knee injury, usually with the caveat: don’t expect Peterson—that was different.

I do remember at the time people wondered if he might reset expectations—that maybe guys wouldn’t need two full years anymore to refind their form. But years later, the dominant takeaway still seems to be that Peterson was the exception, not the rule. Could it be that players come back faster now and we just don’t make a big deal out of it unless it’s extraordinary? Maybe. But my gut says no—it still comes up constantly when evaluating free agents or draft prospects: give the guy a break, he’s only a year removed from knee surgery.

And in Aiyuk’s case, it’s not just an ACL—it’s ACL and MCL.

I remember the same conversation around Bryce Love—viewed as a draft steal, but with real concern because there was more going on than just a standard ACL recovery.

If I’m being optimistic, sure—maybe Aiyuk is the exception. Maybe he bounces back like Peterson. Maybe he picks up the playbook quickly, stays in great shape, misses camp like Terry did but isn’t affected. But that’s a lot of “maybes.” It feels like stacking assumptions and hoping everything breaks right.

My guess is they’re comfortable enough with Dyami or Burks at Z, and view Aiyuk as upside rather than a necessity. And to be fair, this front office isn’t dumb—they see the same risks. It also fits their pattern of not over-prioritizing WR.

But they haven’t earned enough trust from me at that position to just assume they’re right.

 

[Hailer]

He signed months after FA started. It's well documented he wanted a lot more -- both national reports and from SF.

Sometimes you don't get what you want. That's life.

The idea that he signed now for 8 million, isn't proof that it’s what he wanted the whole time. No one is saying that.

Ok fair enough on the price tag point.

But my stance remains the same - glad they didn’t throw multiple years and mills at a guy the league didn’t value at that level in an attempt to course correct at WR.

 

[Riggo44]

SF like most teams don't fart around at WR. So once it was clear they weren't going to meet Jenning's price tag, they already loaded up their room both in FA and the draft.

I cannot disagree with this more. "Loading up" is not what they did--they reached in the draft and got desperate, hoping Mike Evans lasts one more year. Warren Sharp has hammered the 9ers for their poor drafting over the last several years. Just acquiring wide receivers is not stockpiling talent if they are mediocre first round picks who can't stay healthy (Pearsall), or picking someone 2 full rounds early (Stribling)--isn't that what we criticize Peters and Ben Sinnott for?

Like I said in another post, I would rather have Conerly and Tunsil than Pearsall and Stribling. Plus, there is a lot of hand wringing over McLaurin's health, but not the entier 9ers offensive roster: Kittle, age 33 season, injured last year. McCaffery, 30, has had as many years where he missed 10+ games as healthy ones since 2020. Evans is 33 and injured all last year. Pearsall played in only 9 games.

We will continue to disagree on this, but I am not willing to stockpile talent at one position, while leaving gaping holes elsewhere like the Bears. That's why the Bengals have been awful: Great QB and WRs, hot garbage every where else.

I am not defending the quality of our WR room. I am attacking the idea that we should just throw endless resources at the position, and disregard everything else.

 

[NickyJ]

Where did Keim say it was one or the other?

From Keim's tweet:

"After missing out on Doubs they pivoted to Chig Okonkwo." The charitable explanation is maybe the team doesn't have the capabilities to pursue multiple players at once. That does kind of explain how so many receivers and corners fell through the cracks after they didn't get Pierce and Doubs. But that would also be something they should try to fix so that they don't get caught flat footed again.

 

[Riggo44]

From Keim's tweet:

"After missing out on Doubs they pivoted to Chig Okonkwo." The charitable explanation is maybe the team doesn't have the capabilities to pursue multiple players at once. That does kind of explain how so many receivers and corners fell through the cracks after they didn't get Pierce and Doubs. But that would also be something they should try to fix so that they don't get caught flat footed again.

Yes I read that. I don't see that as one or the other, unless you really believe they were content going into the season with Bates and Sinnott

 

[NickyJ]

Yes I read that. I don't see that as one or the other, unless you really believe they were content going into the season with Bates and Sinnott

The team is content with going into the season without competition for Dyami, Van Jefferson, and the two mid-round draft picks that have yet to blossom. The team already has no competition for Sinnott as a second TE on the field. My faith that they are going to load enough talent that a freak injury won't derail the whole offense for the second year in a row is waning. Putting all their eggs in the basket of a receiver 2 years out of the league but owned by someone else is insane. So maybe they have a different WR that they're willing to give a shot.... Letting that WR sit for weeks after the draft and letting him negotiate with other teams would also be insane.

This team waits until a ripe apple falls from the sky. It's how they handled 2024 too. They only got Noah Brown after pre-season cuts, and he wasn't icing on the cake. He was a necessary weapon that they left until the last second. And I'm sure you can make the point that they can try doing it this season since it worked out in 2024. That would be true, but it's also true that no ripe apples fell from the sky in 2025.

I am unhappy that the team is making minimal effort to improve the woefully untrustworthy receiving corps. I cannot find a way to praise the team for letting Jennings walk for peanuts when he would have been a supremely cheap 1 year investment. If Terry has aged over the past year, if Chig gets dinged up like random players always do throughout training camp and a season, if the third round draft pick plays like our past 3rd and 4th round draft picks... If any one of those things happen, it's up to Jayden to fix it again himself. And if he gets injured doing it, I will flip tables.

 

[DWinzit]

"After missing out on Doubs they pivoted to Chig Okonkwo." The charitable explanation is maybe the team doesn't have the capabilities to pursue multiple players at once. That does kind of explain how so many receivers and corners fell through the cracks after they didn't get Pierce and Doubs. But that would also be something they should try to fix so that they don't get caught flat footed again.

This is very concerning and has seemed like a glitch in their system if true. They perhaps are not prepared to fluidly transition more than one or two steps without regrouping. It could fall to the ownership needing to approve moves (perhaps that budget concern some of you have) or it is on AP.

 

[bowhunter]

A significant upgrade was available for a pittance, yet AP "didn't seem to show much interest." Hoping on the unknowns that BA becomes available, is mentally prepared for football and physically capable. I am beginning to lose faith.

AND now that the available FA pool just got a bit shallower, If/When AP finally decides to try to make a deal for Aiyuk, SF now has more leverage since our cupboard is so bare. What might have been a 6-7 round swap may involve a 5th or having to wait until Sept.1. Help me make sense of all of this

 

[Riggo44]

A significant upgrade was available for a pittance

Ours and the 9ers receivers rooms are not exactly teeming with talent. Yet neither was interested in bringing in Jauan Jennings, who they both are very familiar with.

Why?

 

[bowhunter]

Ours and the 9ers receivers rooms are not exactly teeming with talent. Yet neither was interested in bringing in Jauan Jennings, who they both are very familiar with.

Why?

That's a great question, but I have not read anything to suggest there are red flags out there. I would hope that there is a sound reason that doesn't involve "pivoting to Chig" alone.

 

[Discobob]

A significant upgrade was available for a pittance, yet AP "didn't seem to show much interest." Hoping on the unknowns that BA becomes available, is mentally prepared for football and physically capable. I am beginning to lose faith.

AND now that the available FA pool just got a bit shallower, If/When AP finally decides to try to make a deal for Aiyuk, SF now has more leverage since our cupboard is so bare. What might have been a 6-7 round swap may involve a 5th or having to wait until Sept.1. Help me make sense of all of this

I won't begrudge anyone's opinion of a player.... but those arguing that both the 49ers and the Commanders (whose GM was with Jennings) decided he wasn't worth heavily pursuing is pretty damning. On top of that, he'll be 29 before the season starts, so he's definitely not a long term solution to anything.

If we go into the season with.... McLaurin, Williams, Aiyuk, Chig... our current coterie of JAGs.... and maybe a high end vet (Diggs)? That's not top of the league, but that's hardly panic territory. Obviously some that hasn't happened, but it's reasonable specuation.

 

[burgold]

They wanted him but not as his price tag.

I know that's what they publicly leaked. Given what he settled for and the fact that we never entertained him or his agent in formal talks (that we know of) it seems that was just polite talk. It's fairly safe to say, neither Peters nor Blough were interested in Pierce at any price.

 

[burgold]

That's a great question, but I have not read anything to suggest there are red flags out there. I would hope that there is a sound reason that doesn't involve "pivoting to Chig" alone.

I don't think it's "red flags." I think it's a talent question. The guy may really just be a JAG who executed well in the 49ers season for a short burst when they had no one else to turn to. Sort of like OZ did for us. Though I still think OZ was at minimum a rich man's JAG that we would have benefited from keeping in 2025. Instead, they kept Noah Brown.

 

[Boone]

I haven’t dug into the data enough to prove it out, but just going off the narratives, Adrian Peterson is treated like a complete outlier when it comes to bouncing back from an ACL. Not because it’s typical—but because it was so rare. You still hear his name come up across sports whenever someone returns from a knee injury, usually with the caveat: don’t expect Peterson—that was different.

I do remember at the time people wondered if he might reset expectations—that maybe guys wouldn’t need two full years anymore to refind their form. But years later, the dominant takeaway still seems to be that Peterson was the exception, not the rule. Could it be that players come back faster now and we just don’t make a big deal out of it unless it’s extraordinary? Maybe. But my gut says no—it still comes up constantly when evaluating free agents or draft prospects: give the guy a break, he’s only a year removed from knee surgery.

And in Aiyuk’s case, it’s not just an ACL—it’s ACL and MCL.

I remember the same conversation around Bryce Love—viewed as a draft steal, but with real concern because there was more going on than just a standard ACL recovery.

If I’m being optimistic, sure—maybe Aiyuk is the exception. Maybe he bounces back like Peterson. Maybe he picks up the playbook quickly, stays in great shape, misses camp like Terry did but isn’t affected. But that’s a lot of “maybes.” It feels like stacking assumptions and hoping everything breaks right.

My guess is they’re comfortable enough with Dyami or Burks at Z, and view Aiyuk as upside rather than a necessity. And to be fair, this front office isn’t dumb—they see the same risks. It also fits their pattern of not over-prioritizing WR.

But they haven’t earned enough trust from me at that position to just assume they’re right.

I don’t have a lot to disagree with there - I just asked where the ‘he’s out of shape and fat’ stuff is coming from? Guys do come back quicker from injuries now - but again the attention is always on the players who struggle not on those whose recoveries go smoothly.

If Peters and Quinn are ‘okay’ with Dyami and Burks as a #2 we are truly clueless.

 

[SkinsLife]

Can Jennings play Center? . I am not that sad about Jenning... we dont need another slow possession receiver. I am concerned that this FO cant nail the slot. 3 years in a row they drafted a slot WR now.

 

[Dlts20]

I would like to hear just one reporter ask AP and DQ flat out one time just to hear their response on people feeling like you haven't gone out of your way to surround Jayden with offensive talent compared to other teams and other young QBs, including not making a play on Jennings who signed for 8 mil.

Also, why are we continually leaving so much cap space untouched. Maybe it's for Jayden's big contract coming next season so they want them to get used to playing with that big chunk missing now.

If I remember, when they've been asked slightly about it especially DQ, they said that upgrading the D is what's really going to help him the most so maybe that's how they really feel.

 

[Commander Wraith]

I’m gonna offer up another way to look at all of this, even though I can’t imagine it changes any opinions, lol.

Prior to FA, we only had Terry, Lane and Luke under contract.
Terry’s on the older side, but still a consistent, quality, do-it-all type of outside receiver.
Luke and Lane are both speedy guys that can threaten vertically, but profile more as underneath receivers. Lane’s probably slot only, Luke might have some F/Z versatility. Both are developing and therefore not guys you just hand starting jobs to.

We chased 2 young, proven receivers in Pierce (vertical threat) and Doubs (more of an underneath guy), both outside receivers.
We signed Okonkwo. Yes, he’s a te, but he can be used underneath and is a vertical threat.
We (as far as we know) didn’t go after Robinson or Nailor. Why not? Perhaps because Robinson is primarily a slot and his size isn’t ideal for a run heavy team. Luke and Lane both put up significantly better numbers than Nailor did when comparing the start of their careers. Then factor in the combo of money, and that we still had the draft upcoming.

We re-signed Burks, a big bodied outside receiver. He’s in his prime, has potential, and is a decent guy to compete for Z and/or the x role behind Terry.
We signed Dyami. Again, a decent guy to compete for Z and/or the x role behind Terry. He’s still in his prime, has decent speed, and is a bit of a vertical threat and good at wr screens.
We signed Jefferson. He’s somewhat versatile and a quality route runner that can compete for a depth role.

Why didn’t we (seemingly) pursue Jennings, Allen, Diggs, or Hopkins? Setting aside Diggs due to offield stuff, the others are neither young, nor vertical threats, and we already landed a quality underneath guy in Williams. Now, we did go after Doubs, so they still felt they had a need for an outside receiver, including a guy that can produce on underneath routes. After missing out on him though, I think they felt it made sense to wait to see how the draft unfolded (as did all other teams).

We now have 3 young, speedy guys in Williams, Lane and McCaffrey to compete for the starting slot role. We have 4 young guys in Williams, Brown, Burks and McCaffrey competing for the starting role at z, and competing to be contributors/depth there. And we have the journeyman technician in Jefferson as sort of emergency depth/camp competition (that we could stash on the PS). That’s a blend of depth, youth, speed, with some decent potential. The lack of proven production is understandably concerning though.

Seems reasonable to think they’re fine with the slot position now. Given the combo of Terry, Okonkwo, White and Williams, I could see them being “ok” with the competition at z. With that said, it also seems reasonable that they’d like to add a guy that could play both outside spots, particularly a guy with some vertical juice. Presumably they’ll do some calculus on Diggs, and if not him, move on to Aiyuk. If Aiyuk doesn’t pan out, they roll with the current competition.

At te, I could see them following a similar line of thought - being ok with Bates/Sinnott/Yankoff competing for the backup move te role (with the scheme helping), but with Ertz as their potential late addition.



To be clear, this isn’t me arguing we’re “fine”, that concerns are unwarranted, or that the FO has done enough/plenty to help Daniels. I’m also not arguing that Aiyuk (or even Diggs) would solve all our problems.

I do, however, think I see where the FO is coming from. We have a lot of youth, speed, and multiple avenues for this offense to be productive via the established, productive guys (Terry, Okonkwo and White), and a lot of younger guys competing for the remaining spots (including Yankoff/Sinnott and Bill/Allen).

 

[Conn]

 

[DWinzit]

Smack was the one PK that would have been worth a shot with a late rounder.
McManus didn't have a great 2025