The San Francisco 49ers made a big splash ahead of the trade deadline, acquiring running back Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers on October 20. McCaffrey is making an immediate impact and accounted for nearly half of the 49ers' total yards in Sunday's 31-14 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Most assume the 49ers are done adding big names to their roster. But what if they're not? Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is gearing up for a return from the ACL injury he suffered in the Super Bowl. Most assumed he would return to the Rams when healthy, but their season is slowly coming apart. What if the 49ers are interested in Beckham?
Pat McAfee asked Adam Schefter that question, and the idea intrigues the ESPN insider. Could Beckham be an option for head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad if they rack up more wins and appear on course for the playoffs?
"I'll say this: I've wondered that," Schefter said Monday on the Pat McAfee Show. "If they keep winning, why would they not look at him? They were interested in him last year. I think he'd like to be in L.A., but look, [the 49ers] surely could use another wide receiver. They've had a lot of injuries.
"Yesterday, they were down to basically [Brandon] Aiyuk. Jauan Jennings didn't play, Deebo Samuel didn't play. They were short at that spot anyway. To me, that's an intriguing match, and we'll find out whether the two sides both feel the same way we all do."
"The 49ers were in on OBJ last year so why wouldn't they be this season" ~@AdamSchefter#PMSOverreactionMonday pic.twitter.com/NpohM5Vi0e
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 31, 2022
The problem with using the 49ers' injuries as the reasoning behind adding Beckham is that San Francisco will likely have Samuel and Jennings back after the bye week. Both receivers are dealing with hamstring injuries. Beckham is a free agent and can sign anywhere. Maybe joining a stronger contender will be more tempting than rejoining the Rams.
Beckham caught 44 passes for 537 yards and five touchdowns in 14 games with the Cleveland Browns and Rams last season. He hauled in 21 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams' four playoff matchups. The veteran receiver's last full season came in 2019 when he recorded 1,035 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 74 receptions with the Browns.
