The San Francisco 49ers could be at something resembling full strength at wide receiver down the stretch of the 2026 regular season — mostly if you go by when their current batch of injured wide receivers is scheduled to return.
Taking a chance on a group that’s shown such a proclivity for injuries might not be what the 49ers want to do — not at 6-1 and very much Super Bowl contenders. Meaning they could still make a wide receiver trade before the November 10 NFL trade deadline.
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz thinks the 49ers should target talented but underachieving New York Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.
“It’s no secret that the 49ers are down bad at wide receiver,” Schatz wrote on November 4. “Mitchell has long flashed more promise than results, though we saw that promise Sunday when he recorded seven receptions for 142 yards and a touchdown. The Jets might be reluctant to part with Mitchell. But because they have Garrett Wilson, Omar Cooper Jr. and Kenyon Sadiq, it’s worth making a call.”
Mitchell Part of One of NFL’s Worst All-Time Trades
Mitchell was a 2nd-round pick (No. 52 overall) by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2024 NFL Draft and part of one of the NFL’s worst all-time trades, when the Colts sent Mitchell and their 2026 and 2027 1st-round picks to the Jets in exchange for cornerback Sauce Gardner in 2025.
In 2025, Mitchell caught 33 passes for 453 yards and 2 touchdowns across the two teams he played for. In 2026, he has 16 receptions for 265 yards in just four games, and he’s in a position group where the Jets have some depth.
Getting to play for the 49ers, a contender, and in Kyle Shanahan’s offense… if he stays healthy, it could make Mitchell a lot of money later.
In return, the 49ers could probably count on giving up something like a 5th-round pick.
Reinforcements On The Way For 49ers … They Hope
In a Week 7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons — the 49ers’ first loss of the season — the 49ers finally hit rock bottom at wide receiver when every starter and primary backup was sidelined by injury.
That includes a pair of former NFL All-Pros: Mike Evans (Achilles) and Deebo Samuel (hamstring). Free agent Christian Kirk is also out, as is DeMarcus Robinson, and another starter, rookie De’Zhaun Stribling, isn’t expected back until somewhere between Weeks 13-15 after he suffered an ankle injury in Week 1 that required surgery.
That doesn’t even include 2024 1st-round pick Ricky Pearsall, who underwent season-ending knee surgery during training camp.
49ers Urged to Target Underachieving Jets WR in Trade