George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys
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(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
The San Francisco 49ers have bolstered their wideout group this offseason with the arrivals of Mike Evans and Christian Kirk to go with Ricky Pearsall. Nonetheless, Evans is in the twilight of his career, and Kirk and Pearsall have had injury issues.
While the Niners can make do with these three players for the 2026 NFL season, they are clearly lacking a No. 1 wideout who is in or entering his prime. However, would a move for George Pickens make sense for San Francisco?
The Dallas Cowboys slapped the franchise tag on Pickens before the start of the new league year, which gives the wideout a one-year, fully guaranteed contract worth $27.2 million.
Still, Garrett Podell of CBS Sports listed the 49ers as a team that should be interested in Pickens, as he believes a trade is still possible despite the player having the franchise tag.
“Yes, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has been adamant Pickens is in the Cowboys’ long-term plans, but he said the same thing about All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons before trading him to the Green Bay Packers a week before the start of the 2025 season,”Podell wrote in his article that was published on April 7.
“Anything can happen when Jones gets backed up against the well in contract negotiations with his star players. Pickens is currently on the franchise tag, but it’s certain his agent, David Mulugheta, doesn’t want his client to take the field without a long-term deal in 2026.”
Niners Owner Doesn’t Hold Back on Brandon Aiyuk Situation
Speaking of wide receivers, the 49ers’ principal owner and chief executive officer, Jed York, left the door slightly open for Aiyuk to remain in San Francisco, or at least to show they aren’t giving him away.
“Our job is to build a culture, and our job is to make sure that we bring talent into the building,” York said on March 30 (h/tDavid Lombardi of the SF Standard). “BA is a very talented guy. I would love to be able to bring him back into the fold, and if I think he’s a valuable asset that other people would want, we’re going to make sure that we get value and bring talent into our building.”
Moreover, Yorkwas asked to elaborate more on being open to the idea of having Aiyuk back in the fold.
“I think anything’s possible, right?” York added. “We want to make sure that we have as talented a roster as possible. First and foremost, he needs to get healthy and be able to perform. I think once that happens, he’s a really, really good football player.”
49ers Insider Gets Blunt on Brandon Aiyuk Latest
After York’s remarks on Aiyuk, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco shared his thoughts.
“If you want him now, come get him now,”Maiocco said on the March 31 edition of “The Rich Eisen Show.” “The 49ers aren’t in any hurry whatsoever to get rid of him, and to allow him to control his own path.
“I think that was probably the message Jed York was sending to the 31 other teams. If you’re interested at all, you would have to really wait a long time for him. So if you want him, come get him now and give the 49ers something in return.”