The 49ers made a splash last week by bringing back former first-round pick DeForest Buckner in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts. The trade deadline is only a few days away and so far, this is the only move the team has made.
But some in NFL circles who spoke to Chris Simms of Pro Football Talks wonder if San Francisco might be done making trades, particularly with the Colts.
“Chris Simms mentioned Thursday Live PFT (People around the league ask Simms these questions, because 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is one of his best friends – and because they assume Simms knows what’s going on with the 49ers, even though he rarely, if ever, does.)
“A trade between Taylor and the 49ers would be shocking. It would be unexpected. As shocking and unexpected as the news that emerged on a Thursday evening in October 2022, when news of the 49ers’ trade to the Panthers for running back Christian McCaffrey first broke.
“A trade for Taylor would raise obvious questions regarding McCaffrey. Taylor is left with $3.87 million in base salary (after Week 9, it drops to $3.49 million). McCaffrey has a cap hit of $10.861 million for 2026. While that’s low enough to keep the duo together for the rest of the season, things would change in 2027.”
Florio suggested that if the 49ers acquire Taylor, it could mean the end of McCaffrey’s time in the Bay Area as early as next season, the final year of his contract.
“McCaffrey has a cap hit of $26.4 million, with no guaranteed money in what will be the final year of his current deal. Taylor would be worth over $16 million in 2027 under his current deal,” Florio added. “Most likely, the 49ers would move on from McCaffrey after this season, if they trade for Taylor.”
McCaffrey is still proving to be a valuable player in San Francisco, but injuries the past two years have kept him from reaching the same heights as he did in 2023, when he won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award. Limited to just four games in 2024, he played in 17 last season and won NFL Comeback Player of the Year, albeit averaging just 3.9 yards per carry.
In seven games this season, he has eight rushing touchdowns on 84 carries for 389 yards, but his longest run is just 16 yards. Taylor, a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and three-time Pro Bowl selection, is having another strong year and is on track for his third straight 1,000-yard season. In eight games, he totaled 148 carries for 610 yards and eight touchdowns.
It remains to be seen whether San Francisco will complete another trade before November 10. But given how competitive the NFC is this season, the 49ers will have to go all-in if they want to see their goal of winning their sixth Super Bowl title come to fruition.
Download and follow the 49ers Talk podcast
Gn sports
