Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Wednesday that the San Francisco 49ers were not among the three teams that reached out to the Pittsburgh Steelers to inquire about wide receiver Antonio Brown. Of course, that could change this week as all 32 NFL teams gather in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine.
The Steelers are open to trading Brown if the offer for the receiver benefits the organization. Brown has made it clear that he wants a change of scenery.
The 49ers don't have the surplus of draft picks they had over the past two seasons. They currently have just six but do own the No. 2 overall pick, the No. 4 pick in the second round, and the No. 3 pick in the third. What they do have is a need at the position and the salary cap space to add a player like Brown.
One 49ers player who believes the team would be open to adding Brown is cornerback Richard Sherman, who sat down with Josina Anderson of ESPN on Wednesday.
"In terms of the front office or in terms of the teammates, I think both sides would be incredibly open to that," Sherman said. "He's one of the best players in our league, and he's one of the hardest workers. In the media, how they portray a player is much different than how guys that see him on a daily basis and guys who work with him on a daily basis see him.
"I've heard nothing but great things about him and his work ethic. They say he's one of the hardest working guys you'll ever meet. He's obviously one of the most productive receivers in the NFL and NFL history. He'd be somebody that would immediately help our ball club.
"There's a chance he stays there (in Pittsburgh). There's a chance he moves. But if he came to us, it would be really exciting for the team. He's had [six] straight 100-catch seasons. He's obviously been a force, and I'd appreciate him."
#49ers CB Richard Sherman tells me he thinks San Francisco would be "incredibly open" to welcoming Antonio Brown to their team if both sides executed a trade. pic.twitter.com/0cO3kh3erS
— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) February 27, 2019