The San Francisco 49ers offense is going to have a completely different feel entering the 2025 NFL season after a plethora of departures and star WR Brandon Aiyuk working his way back from a devastating knee injury.
Well, one analyst believes the 49ers could be in the market for some Brandon Aiyuk insurance after being named the best fit for a big-name veteran WR still available in free agency.
49ers Named the Best Fit for Free Agent WR Keenan Allen
Since Brandon Aiyuk is recovering from a torn ACL from last season and Deebo Samuel was traded this offseason, USA Today NFL Analyst Tyler Dragon believes the 49ers are the best fit for free agent WR Keenan Allen entering the 2025 NFL season.
Dragon wrote, “The 49ers traded Deebo Samuel and Ricky Pearsall has a hamstring injury. Samuel would give Brock Purdy a nice security blanket in the slot.”
Dragon appropriately mentioned the departure of Deebo and a soft tissue injury that Pearsall is dealing with currently, but one glaring omission from potentially signing a top free agent receiver like Allen is Aiyuk potentially not being ready for the start of the 2025 NFL season.
Allen is coming off a down year with his 744 receiving yards being the lowest total we’ve seen from him 2016 — a season where he tore his ACL in the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs — but Allen still showcased his top-tier route running ability in a dazzling nine-reception performance in Week 16 of last season where finished 141 yards and a score against the Detroit Lions.
Dragon added, “Allen isn’t too far removed from breaking the Chargers single-season receptions record in 2023. However, there were signs of slippage in his lone season in Windy City. Some of his decline in production could be attributed to the difficulties of catching passes from rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.”
It is always a concern when you see a player who has been a perennial 1,000 yard producer have a down year at the age of 31, but his flashes of excellence were still present at moments despite the struggles of a crowded Bears’ passing game.
Who Will be the WR1 for the San Francisco 49ers in 2025?
The 49ers have a very interesting WR room entering the 2025 NFL season with Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall, and Jauan Jennings all feeling like players who can be the focal point of the passing attack.
Yet, Aiyuk is returning from injury, Pearsall is a second-year player, and Jennings has only had one season with significant production to make this receiver room a bit muddy entering the year.
The addition of Allen, who has five years of 100+ receptions and 1,000 receiving yards in a season could make him a strong candidate to lead the WR room if the Niners bring him aboard this season.
Allen has always done his work out of the slot, which would make him an interesting fit in this Kyle Shanahan scheme. Yet, a productive veteran who can quickly pick up the nuances of this scheme could prove to a be a productive gamble.
Ultimately, the financial details of the contract could prove to be the deciding factor in this coming to fruition, but the pairing would certainly only serve to help Brock Purdy in 2025.
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