BREAKING: Stefon Diggs’ brutal injury news casts shadow on 49ers’ plans at trade deadline

If the Niners are looking to trade for a Brandon Aiyuk replacement, the Texans are likely now looking for a Stefon Diggs replacement, too.
Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs (1) and head coach DeMeco Ryans (R)
Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs (1) and head coach DeMeco Ryans (R) / Tim Warner/GettyImages

In an ideal world, the San Francisco 49ers wouldn’t have a need to acquire a wide receiver by the NFL trade deadline because their leading pass catcher from the previous two seasons, Brandon Aiyuk, wouldn’t have suffered a torn ACL and MCL in Week 7.

In a less-ideal (but still somewhat ideal) world, the Niners would be one of only a handful of teams shopping for a receiver by the deadline because of an Aiyuk-like injury.

Unfortunately, San Francisco isn’t alone.

A week after Aiyuk was lost for the year, Houston Texans star wide receiver Stefon Diggs suffered a serious knee injury of his own in his team’s victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

The Tuesday after the game, news revealed the perennial Pro Bowler suffered a torn ACL and is out for the rest of the season:

Brutal. Especially because most 49ers fans are likely pulling for Houston’s head coach, DeMeco Ryans, the Niners’ defensive coordinator from 2021 and 2022, to have a ton of success at the Texans’ helm.

Losing Diggs is a substantial blow. But it also convolutes the trade market, too, especially if San Francisco was aiming to find a suitable replacement for Aiyuk before the Nov. 5 deadline.

Texans could crash 49ers’ NFL trade deadline party for a wide receiver

Houston, 6-2 and leading the AFC South by two games, should be a buyer at the deadline. Diggs’ injury opens the door for trade talks with other teams, including the Carolina Panthers, who could be interested in shopping their own veteran wideout, Diontae Johnson, to the highest bidder.

Update: Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Carolina is trading Diontae Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens. But the premise of a wide receiver trade still applies to both San Francisco and Houston.

The 49ers could be interested, too, considering their remaining two top receivers, Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings, have both been banged up this season, forcing rookies like Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing into featured roles.

If the Niners were the lone party interested in a wide receiver trade, that’d be one thing. But the Texans have to be in the mix now, too.

Plus, if Johnson would be a great scheme fit for San Francisco, he’d be the same in Houston under offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, who stems from 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s coaching tree.

The Niners may not entertain a bidding war for a proven pass catcher, particularly if another top contender is willing to drive up the price.

In that way, San Francisco is also hurt by Diggs’ injury, albeit in a roundabout way.

Related Posts

BREAKING: Raiders Predicted to Add QB Justin Fields in Trade Deadline Deal..

The Raiders have struggled to find a viable starting quarterback The Las Vegas Raiders are facing an “ugly” quarterback situation, but a new report suggests they could solve the…

BREAKING: Steelers Predicted to Bolster WR Room with Downfield Threat..

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the NFL’s biggest surprises in the first half of the 2024 season. Riding a three-game win streak into their Week 9 bye, the…

BREAKING: Steelers Suddenly Cut Player Back From IR, Re-Sign Veteran 1 Day After Release..

GettyHead coach Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers released Dylan Cook and signed linebacker Ade Ogundeji to the practice squad on October 31. Veteran linebacker Ade Ogundeji is back…

BREAKING: Steelers Decision On Justin Fields Future Will Shock Many Fans..

The Pittsburgh Steelers welcomed two capable starting quarterbacks in the 2024 offseason in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Wilson was named the starter, but a calf injury sidelined him for six games….

Charissa Thompson’s Travis Kelce Halloween Costume Was Perfect..

Since Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” took place on Halloween, sportscaster Charissa Thompson dressed up as Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Thompson obviously doesn’t have the build or…

See Patrick and pregnant Brittany Mahomes’ adorable Halloween costumes with kids..

This house is a zoo. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, 29, and pregnant wife Brittany, also 29, wore wildly cute zoo-themed family costumes for Halloween this…