3 emergency trades the 49ers can make to keep Super Bowl dream alive after Brandon Aiyuk injury

The San Francisco 49ers entered their Week 7 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, hoping to get some revenge over the team that just beat them in the Super Bowl. Not only did the Niners fail to do that, but disaster struck.

As if the long list of injuries San Francisco has had to deal with wasn't long enough, Brandon Aiyuk suffered a gruesome injury during Sunday's contest. When talking to the media postgame, head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that he's expecting the worst.

If Aiyuk did suffer an ACL tear, there's a good chance his season is over. Regardless of what the injury is, it feels likely that he'll be missing some time. Brock Purdy has struggled without his elite weapons surrounding him, and his task will only get tougher if Aiyuk does have to miss time.

With Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and Jauan Jennings - their three best wideouts - all dealing with injuries, a trade or even two is needed to ensure that the Niners can hang around. They're only trailing the first-place Seattle Seahawks by 1.0 game, but with the Niners being 3-4, Niners GM John Lynch has to get something done sooner rather than later. Here are three receivers that the Niners should consider acquiring.

3) A change of scenery could be what gets Deandre Hopkins going

Deandre Hopkins had a rough first five games of his season for the Tennessee Titans, and somehow, it got worse in their Week 7 loss against the Buffalo Bills. Hopkins had just one target on the day, reeling in a reception for negative two yards. How many times do you see that from Hopkins?

On the season, Hopkins now has 15 receptions for 173 yards and one touchdown. Again, very un-Hopkins-like. While he has been far from perfect, having guys like Mason Rudolph and Will Levis throwing to him on a 1-5 Titans team can't help. Going from that to Brock Purdy and being coached by Kyle Shanahan on a Niners team that does have a chance at making the playoffs and making a deep run.

This season has been a struggle for Hopkins, but he had over 1,000 yards receiving in 2023, so it's not as if he cannot play anymore. Going from Tennessee to San Francisco might give Hopkins a much-needed jolt, and he would be a solid complimentary option for Purdy.

2) Diontae Johnson should be very available to acquire in a trade

Not much has gone right for the Carolina Panthers this season, as evidenced by their 1-6 record, but Diontae Johnson is one player who has played well for the Panthers thus far. He had a rough Week 7 game (alongside the rest of his teammates), but Johnson entered the day with 340 receiving yards, only 11 fewer than Aiyuk.

Johnson isn't the talent Aiyuk is, but he's been a very dependable receiver throughout his six-year career. While their talented playmakers are on the sidelines, Johnson can give the Niners the veteran receiver that they desperately need, to avoid having to rely on rookie wideout Ricky Pearsall as the team's top target at the wide receiver position.

The Panthers are out of contention, and Johnson is on an expiring contract. With it being likely that this is going to be Johnson's only season in Carolina, the Panthers would benefit by getting something for him before he inevitably departs in the spring.

1) The Niners should send the Bengals an offer they can't refuse for Tee Higgins

We've already seen two elite wideouts — Davante Adams and Amari Cooper — get dealt, and more moves might be coming. With where their teams are standings-wise, it'd be surprising to see Hopkins and Johnson stay put by the November 5 trade deadline.

Tee Higgins' situation isn't as clear, but an argument can be made that he's available. The chances of a long-term deal to remain with the Cincinnati Bengals aren't non-existent, but they probably aren't great either, considering the fact that one has yet to be reached despite Higgins' desire to get one done. The lack of contract clarity combined with the fact that the Bengals are 3-4 makes it possible that he can get moved.

The Bengals are very clearly in the playoff race despite being one game under .500, but if they lose another game or two before the deadline, things can get interesting, and they'd have to at least think about trading Higgins. It'd take a good amount for the Bengals to consider trading Higgins - one of the best WR2s in the NFL - but with where the Niners are right now, it'd be worth their while.

Parting with valuable draft capital for a likely rental (thanks to Aiyuk's contract) would hurt, but the Niners have a team capable of winning now assuming they can find a way to get healthy. Replacing Aiyuk with Higgins while getting their other key playmakers back might help get San Francisco back in that Super Bowl discussion.