49ers Recommended to Make Wild Trade for Star Receiver
Of all the positions that are perfectly fine for the 2026 season on the San Francisco 49ers, it's wide receiver.
They signed Mike Evans to fill the void of a dominant wideout left by Brandon Aiyuk. They also brought in Christian Kirk and drafted De'Zhaun Stribling.
At the beginning of the offseason, the receiver position was the weakest on the 49ers. Now it's one of the strongest entering 2026.
However, that didn't stop NFL insider Jason La Canfora from recommending the 49ers to trade for disgruntled star wide receiver A.J. Brown.
"The 49ers, who at some point will part with awol receiver Brandon Aiyuk, have a very high payroll as it stands," wrote La Canfora, "and their cap space has been an issue, but even with Mike Evans there, one could make a case for Brown, especially with some of the recent injury with some of their top pass catchers."
Trading for Brown is asinine
Acquiring Brown would be an amazing move to make. Just imagine an offense with Evans and Brown as the top receivers. That's a cheat code in any offense, especially the 49ers.
It's also not a reality. Not even 1%. La Canfora is insane for that suggestion. It's asinine. Anyone who pays even only a little attention to the 49ers should know that it's never going to happen.
It's not how the 49ers operate. The only way that happens is if you force the trade in the video game Madden. If the 49ers wanted to trade for Brown, it should've happened months ago.
In fact, I recommended the 49ers to pursue Brown and see if the Eagles would take the 27th pick for him in February. That was the time to do it. But now, it would be an absurd move to make.
They have the No. 1 receiver spot filled with Evans. Adding Brown would be a luxury that they can't afford anymore. That dream was over the moment they signed Evans.
And while the future at the position is uncertain, it still wouldn't be a sensible move. It would be a massive overinvestment at the position. Complete overkill that's unnecessary.
Besides, the 49ers need to give Ricky Pearsall the runway to showcase his talents. Adding Brown will limit that runway, if not fully eliminate it. Pearsall's tenure with the 49ers would be near its end.
Right now, the 49ers have it structured nicely. Evans is their top guy to help uplift the offense, especially against tough defenses, like the Seahawks. Pearsall settles in perfectly as the No. 2.
It just depends on how healthy he will be. The 49ers are good at receiver. Don't expect any trades to occur at the position, especially involving Brown.
Follow Jose on X (Twitter) @JS3sanchezz to interact with him on the 49ers and more.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/49ers/onsi as 49ers Recommended to Make Wild Trade for Star Receiver.
Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 7:00 AM.