The San Francisco 49ers need to add some playmaking heft to their offense if they're going to contend with the best teams in the NFC.
Their two losses to the Seattle Seahawks at the end of the 2025 regular season and in the divisional round of the playoffs exposed their lack of overall speed and explosiveness as prohibitive factors in their quest to win a Super Bowl. Head coach Kyle Shanahan is always going to be able to manufacture yards and points over the course of a full season, but San Francisco needs an injection of talent if they're going to be a legitimate playoff factor in 2026.
ESPN identified a handful of offensive players who could be due for a change of scenery this offseason. Three of them make sense as potential additions for the 49ers either via trade or free agency:
Free agent: New York Jets RB Breece Hall
It should be said that it's extremely unlikely the 49ers would go spend big money on a running back in free agency while Christian McCaffrey is on their team. However, the club should be prepared for a down year from McCaffrey given what history tells us about players with 450 touches in a single season and postseason. If the 49ers don't want their offense to be fully derailed when McCaffrey is off the field they'd be wise to bring in a player like Hall who brings a versatile skill set to the table. He could take an immense workload off McCaffrey's plate while also giving the team an answer in the event McCaffrey is unavailable.
Trade candidate: Buffalo Bills WR Keon Coleman
The 49ers have such a deep need at wide receiver that they can't leave any stone unturned. Coleman has put together a disappointing two seasons with the Bills after they made him the No. 33 overall pick in the 2024 draft. He was a healthy scratch for part of the 2025 regular season and he finished the year with 404 yards and four touchdowns on 38 receptions. Adding a 23-year-old former second-round pick would make a sense for San Francisco if they can acquire him for a Day 3 draft pick. Coleman still has some upside and joining a new offense could be what catalyzes him to reach the potential that made him the first selection in the second round just two NFL drafts ago. It couldn't be the 49ers' only move at receiver, but the risk is worth the reward for San Francisco should Buffalo aim to move Coleman.
Trade candidate: Baltimore Ravens WR Rashod Bateman
Bateman could be a target if the 49ers don't retain Jauan Jennings. There's no guarantee the Ravens will trade the 2021 27th overall pick. However, he hasn't carved out a real role for Baltimore. After a career year in 2024 with 756 yards and nine touchdowns, he put up the worst year of his career with 19 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns. The only time he's been close to those numbers was in 2022 when he missed 11 games. Bateman hasn't been great, but the 49ers need an influx of talent at WR and Bateman fits the bill as a potential Jennings replacement who shouldn't cost a ton to get to Santa Clara.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 3 offensive weapons 49ers should pursue in free agency, trade market